unsaturated
not saturated; having the power to dissolve still more of a substance.
Chemistry. (of an organic compound) having a double or triple bond and capable of taking on elements or groups by direct chemical combination without the liberation of other elements or compounds, as ethylene, CH2=CH2; undersaturated.
Origin of unsaturated
1Other words from unsaturated
- un·sat·u·rate [uhn-sach-er-it, -uh-reyt], /ʌnˈsætʃ ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt/, noun
- un·sat·u·ra·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use unsaturated in a sentence
It is, therefore, a hydrocarbon of a very high degree of unsaturation.
The Chemistry of Plant Life | Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
British Dictionary definitions for unsaturated
/ (ʌnˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) /
not saturated
(of a chemical compound, esp an organic compound) containing one or more double or triple bonds and thus capable of undergoing addition reactions
(of a fat, esp a vegetable fat) containing a high proportion of fatty acids having double bonds
(of a solution) containing less solute than a saturated solution
Derived forms of unsaturated
- unsaturation, noun
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 unsaturated
[ ŭn-săch′ə-rā′tĭd ]
Relating to an organic compound in which two or more of the carbon atoms are joined by a double or triple bond and therefore can be combined with additional atoms or radicals. Benzene and acetylene are examples of unsaturated compounds. Compare saturated See also monounsaturated polyunsaturated.
Relating to a solution that is capable of dissolving more solute than it already contains.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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