saponification number: Meaning and Definition of

saponifica'tion num"ber

Pronunciation: [key]
— Chem. Chem.
  1. the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to saponify one gram of a given ester, esp. a glyceride. Also called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.