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Preservative vs Inhibitor - What's the difference?

preservative | inhibitor |

As nouns the difference between preservative and inhibitor

is that preservative is (countable) any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve, especially when added to food while inhibitor is any substance capable of stopping or slowing a specific chemical reaction.

As an adjective preservative

is tending to preserve.

preservative

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (countable) any agent, natural or artificial that acts to preserve, especially when added to food
  • Salt, sugar, and acid all act as preservatives when making pickles.

    Adjective

    (head)
  • tending to preserve
  • The curators took preservative actions to maintain the ancient collection.

    inhibitor

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chemistry) Any substance capable of stopping or slowing a specific chemical reaction.
  • (biology) Any substance capable of stopping or slowing a specific biological process
  • Derived terms

    * inhibitory

    See also

    * catalyst ----