oxidation

[ ok-si-dey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for oxidation on Thesaurus.com
nounChemistry.
  1. the process or result of oxidizing.

  2. the deposit that forms on the surface of a metal as it oxidizes.

Origin of oxidation

1
First recorded in 1785–95; oxide + -ation
  • Also ox·i·di·za·tion [ok-si-duh-zey-shuhn]. /ˌɒk sɪ dəˈzeɪ ʃən/.

Other words from oxidation

  • ox·i·da·tion·al, ox·i·da·tive, adjective
  • non·ox·i·da·tion, noun
  • non·ox·i·da·tive, adjective
  • non·ox·i·di·za·tion, noun
  • o·ver·ox·i·di·za·tion, noun
  • re·ox·i·da·tion, noun
  • self-ox·i·da·tion, noun
  • un·ox·i·da·tive, adjective

Words Nearby oxidation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oxidation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oxidation

oxidation

/ (ˌɒksɪˈdeɪʃən) /


noun
    • the act or process of oxidizing

    • (as modifier): an oxidation state; an oxidation potential

Derived forms of oxidation

  • oxidational, adjective
  • oxidative, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for oxidation

oxidation

[ ŏk′sĭ-dāshən ]


  1. The chemical combination of a substance with oxygen.

  2. A chemical reaction in which an atom or ion loses electrons, thus undergoing an increase in valence. Removing an electron from an iron atom having a valence of +2 changes the valence to +3. Compare reduction.

Other words from oxidation

  • oxidative adjective

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for oxidation

oxidation

Any chemical reaction in which a material gives up electrons, as when the material combines with oxygen. Burning is an example of rapid oxidation; rusting is an example of slow oxidation. (See combustion and reduction.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.