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Chemistry terms glossary page 6
Chemistry terms explained in plain English. 1,714 words and meanings, most familiar first.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bisulfide noun | The anion HS–. |
| bitartrate noun | Hydrogen tartrate (univalent salt of tartaric acid) |
| bolthead noun | A round-bottomed flask with a long neck (used especially for distillation) |
| bombesin noun | A neural oligopeptide that stimulates the release of gastrin |
| boride noun | The B3− anion |
| bradykinin noun | A compound released in the blood in some circumstances which causes contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of blood vessels. It is a peptide with nine amino-acid residues. |
| bromated adjective | Brominated |
| bromic adjective | Of, or relating to bromine or its compounds, especially those in which it has a valency of five |
| brominate verb | To treat or react with bromine or hydrobromic acid, to introduce bromine into a compound. |
| brominated adjective | Treated or reacted with bromine or hydrobromic acid. |
| bromination noun | Any reaction which introduces a bromine atom into a compound. |
| burette noun | A glass tube with fine gradations and a stopcock at the bottom, used in laboratory procedures for accurate fluid dispensing and titration. |
| butene noun | Any of several forms of butylene. |
| butylate verb | To react so as to introduce one or more butyl groups into a molecule |
| butylated adjective | Modified to contain one or more butyl groups |
| butylation noun | A reaction in which a butyl group is added to a molecule |
| butyral noun | Butyraldehyde |
| butyric adjective | Of, pertaining to, or derived from butyric acid or any of the isomeric univalent radicals of formula C3H7CO2- |
| butyryl noun | The univalent radical C3H7COO- derived from butyric acid. |
| camphorate noun | Any salt of camphoric acid. |
| captan noun | Ethyl mercaptan. |
| carbamate noun | Any salt or ester of carbamic acid. |
| carbamide noun | Urea |
| carbamino noun | Designating a compound composed by the addition of carbon dioxide to a free amino group in an amino acid or a protein, such as hemoglobin forming carbaminohemoglobin. |
| carbanion noun | Any organic anion of general formula R3C- |
| carbaryl noun | A white crystalline solid of the carbamate family, a cholinesterase inhibitor used chiefly as an insecticide. |
| carbazole noun | Any of its derivatives. |
| carbocyclic adjective | Describing a ring, all of whose atoms are carbon |
| carbonyl noun | In organic chemistry, a divalent functional group, (-CO-), characteristic of aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amides, carboxylic acid anhydrides, carbonyl halides, esters and others. |
| carbonylation noun | Any reaction that introduces a carbonyl group into a compound, especially by reaction with carbon monoxide |
| carbonylic adjective | Relating to carbonyls |
| carboxyl noun | A univalent functional group consisting of a carbonyl and a hydroxyl functional group (-CO.OH); characteristic of carboxylic acids. |
| carboxylate noun | Any salt or ester of a carboxylic acid. |
| carboxylated adjective | Converted into a carboxylic acid, normally by the oxidation of an alcohol or aldehyde. |
| carboxylation noun | Any reaction that introduces a carboxylate group into a molecule |
| carotenoid noun | Any of a class of yellow to red organic pigments including the carotenes and xanthophylls. |
| catabolism noun | Destructive metabolism, usually including the release of energy and breakdown of materials. |
| catabolite noun | Any substance produced during catabolism |
| catabolized adjective | Modified by catabolism |
| catalatic adjective | Related to a catalase |
| catecholamine noun | Any of a class of aromatic amines derived from pyrocatechol that are hormones produced by the adrenal gland. |
| catenation noun | The ability of a few elements, most especially carbon, to yield chains and rings by forming covalent bonds with atoms of the same element. |
| cathodal adjective | Attracted towards a cathode |
| cationic adjective | Of, relating to, or being a cation |
| cationically adverb | In a cationic manner |
| cellulolytic adjective | That causes the hydrolysis of cellulose |
| cephalin noun | A phospholipid found particularly in the cells of nervous tissue; it is also the primary phospholipid in bacteria. |
| cerebroside noun | Any of several glycosphingolipids found in the membranes of muscle and nervous tissue |
| ceria noun | The compound cerium(IV) oxide. |
| ceric adjective | Containing cerium with valence four. |
| cerous adjective | Containing cerium with valence three |
| chalone noun | Any of several polypeptide hormones that reversibly inhibit mitosis in the tissues that produce them. |
| chauffer noun | A table stove or small furnace, usually a cylindrical box of sheet iron, with a grate at the bottom, and an open top. |
| chelated adjective | Bound with one or more chelates |
| chelator noun | A chelating agent |
| chemiluminescence noun | The emission of light as the result of a chemical reaction. |
| chemisorb verb | To adsorb a substance on the surface or another by chemical bonding. |
| chemisorption noun | The process in which a substance is adsorbed on the surface of another by means of chemical rather than physical bonding |
| chemotaxis noun | The movement of a cell or an organism in response to a chemical stimulant. |
| chemotaxonomy noun | The classification or taxonomy of organisms based on differences and similarities in biochemistry, especially on differences in amino acid sequence in proteins that the organisms have in common. |
| chemurgy noun | A branch of applied chemistry that is concerned with preparing industrial products from agricultural raw materials. |
| chloramine noun | Any of a class of unstable compounds of nitrogen and chlorine R1R2NCl; also the parent compound NH2Cl, used to manufacture hydrazine, and as the antiseptic chloramine-T |
| chloric adjective | Of a compound, containing chlorine with a higher oxidation number than equivalent chlorous compounds; especially having an oxidation number of 5. |
| chlorinated adjective | Of water, that has had chlorine added to it to purify it. |
| chlorination noun | The act or process of chlorinating something; especially, the addition of chlorine to water to purify it, and a process for the extraction of gold by exposure of the auriferous material to chlorine gas. |
| chlorinity noun | A quantitative measure of the amount of chlorine and other halides in water, especially in seawater |
| chlorite noun | Any salt of chlorous acid. |
| chlorohydrin noun | Any halohydrin in which the halogen is chlorine. |
| chlorous adjective | Of a compound, containing chlorine with a lower oxidation number than equivalent chloric compounds; especially having an oxidation number of 3. |
| cholate noun | Any salt or ester of cholic acid |
| cholecystokinin noun | Any of several peptide hormones that stimulate the digestion of fat and protein; abbreviated to CCK. |
| cholesteric adjective | Relating to cholesteric acid or its derivatives |
| cholinergic adjective | Of, pertaining to, activated by, producing or having the same function as acetylcholine. |
| chondroitin noun | Any of a range of mucopolysaccharides, derived from galactosamine and glucuronic acid, that occur in cartilage and bone. |
| chromic adjective | Of, relating to, or containing chromium, especially in oxidation state 3 |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| chromogen noun | Any substance that lacks colour, but can be converted into a pigment or dye. |
| chromophore noun | That part of the molecule of a dye responsible for its colour |
| chromophoric adjective | Of or relating to a chromophore |
| chromous adjective | Of, relating to, or containing chromium, especially in oxidation state 2 |
| chymotrypsinogen noun | An inactive precursor to chymotrypsin |
| cinnamic adjective | Of or pertaining to cinnamic acid or its derivatives |
| cinnamyl noun | The univalent radical C6H5-CH=CH-CH2- characteristic of cinnamic compounds |
| clinal adjective | Describing a torsion angle between 30° and 150° |
| coacervate noun | The microsphere droplet that results from coacervation. |
| cobaltic adjective | Of or relating to cobalt. |
| cobaltous adjective | Containing cobalt in oxidation state 2. |
| codon noun | A sequence of three adjacent nucleotides, which encode for a specific amino acid during protein synthesis or translation. |
| coenzyme noun | Any small molecule that is necessary for the functioning of an enzyme. |
| cohobate verb | To treat a material with a boiling liquid and repeatedly return the distillate. |
| colligative adjective | Describing any property that depends only on the number of molecules present. |
| comonomer noun | Any of a group of monomers that, when polymerized, form a copolymer |
| complexation noun | The formation of a complex |
| complexed adjective | Combined in the form of a complex |
| complexing noun | The formation of a complex; complexation |
| conductimetric adjective | Describing a titration in which the endpoint is determined by measuring conductivity |
| conformer noun | Any of a set of stereoisomers characterised by a conformation that corresponds to a distinct potential energy minimum. |
| constitutively adverb | At a constant rate regardless of physiological demand |
| copolymer noun | A polymer derived from more than one species of monomer. |
| copolymeric adjective | Of or pertaining to a copolymer |
| copolymerize verb | To polymerize so as to form a copolymer |
| coronoid noun | Any polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derived from coronene. |
| coulometer noun | A device, used in coulometry, to determine the amount of substance released during electrolysis. |
| coulometric adjective | Of, or relating to coulometry |
| coulometry noun | A technique in analytical chemistry in which the amount of substance released during electrolysis, and the amount of electricity used, are measured. |
| counterion noun | Any ion of opposite charge to another in a solution or other electrochemical system |
| covalence noun | A form of valence in which electrons are shared between participating atoms |
| covalent adjective | Containing or characterized by a covalent bond. |
| creatinine noun | A heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-5H-imidazol-4-one, formed by the metabolism of creatine. |
| cresol noun | Any of the three isomeric phenols derived from toluene: ortho-, meta- or para-methylphenol. |
| cresyl noun | Any of three isomeric univalent radical derived from a cresol; tolyl |
| cryoscopic adjective | Of or pertaining to cryoscopy; determined using a cryoscope |
| cryoscopy noun | The estimation of the molecular weight of a compound by measuring its effect on the freezing point of a solvent. |
| crystallizer noun | The chemical engineering vessel in which the crystallization of a solution takes place. |
| crystalloid noun | Any substance that can be crystallized from solution; a water-soluble crystalline substance that can diffuse through a semipermeable membrane, as opposed to a colloid which cannot. |
| cupreous adjective | Containing copper. |
| cupric adjective | Containing copper with an oxidation number of 2 |
| cuprous adjective | Containing copper with an oxidation number of 1. |
| cutin noun | A waxy polymer of hydroxy acids that is the main constituent of plant cuticle. |
| cyanate noun | Any salt or ester of cyanic acid |
| cyanic adjective | Of cyanogen or its derivatives |
| cyano noun | A univalent functional group, -CN, consisting of a carbon and a nitrogen atom joined with a triple bond; organic compounds containing a cyano group are nitriles |
| cyanoacrylate noun | Any of a class of esters of cyanoacrylic acid that are used as instant adhesives. |
| cyanoethylate verb | To subject to cyanoethylation. |
| cyanoethylation noun | Any reaction, or treatment, with acrylonitrile, especially such treatment of cotton fabric to improve its strength and make it easier to dye |
| cyanogen noun | The radical -CN. |
| cyclamate noun | Any salt or ester of cyclamic acid, especially the sodium and calcium salts, which have been used as artificial sweeteners |
| cyclitol noun | Any hydroxylated cycloalkane having at least three hydroxy groups attached to different carbon atoms. |
| cyclization noun | The process of cyclizing, of becoming or causing to become aromatic. |
| cyclize verb | To undergo, or cause to undergo, a reaction resulting in the formation of an aromatic or ring structure. |
| cyclized adjective | Formed into a ring |
| cycloaddition noun | An addition reaction that leads to the formation of a cyclic product. |
| cycloaliphatic adjective | Relating to a cycloalkane or a cycloalkyl radical |
| cyclodiene noun | Any of a class of chlorinated polycyclic insecticides derived from cyclopentadiene |
| cycloparaffin noun | A cycloalkane. |
| cymene noun | Any of several isomeric naturally occurring terpenoid hydrocarbons; a constituent of a number of essential oils, most commonly the oil of cumin and thyme. |
| cymogene noun | A highly volatile liquid, condensed by cold and pressure from the first products of the distillation of petroleum; used for producing low temperatures. |
| cysteamine noun | The simplest stable aminothiol, a degradation product of the amino acid cysteine, used to treat cystine excretion disorders and radiation sickness. |
| cystine noun | A nonessential amino acid formed by the oxidation of cysteine; it contains two cysteine residues linked by a disulfide bond. |
| cytidine noun | A nucleoside consisting of cytosine linked to ribose, occurring in human RNA |
| cytochalasin noun | Any of several related fungal metabolites that have an effect on cytokinesis while not affecting karyokinesis |
| cytochemical adjective | Relating to cytochemistry |
| cytochemistry noun | The biochemistry of cells, especially that of the macromolecules responsible for cell structure and function. |
| cytosine noun | A heterocyclic base, 4-aminopyrimidin-2(1H)-one, which pairs with guanine in DNA and RNA (by means of three hydrogen bonds). |
| deacidification noun | The act or process of removing or neutralizing acid |
| deaeration noun | The process of removing dissolved gasses from a liquid. |
| deaminate verb | To remove an amino group from (a compound), especially by the use of a deaminase enzyme. |
| deaminated adjective | That has had one or more amino groups removed |
| deamination noun | The removal of an amino group from a compound. |
| decane noun | Any of the seventy-five isomers of the aliphatic hydrocarbon having the chemical formula C10H22 |
| decarboxylation noun | The removal of one or more carboxyl groups from a molecule |
Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources