amphoteric
[am-fuh-ter-ik]
- capable of functioning either as an acid or as a base.
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Origin of amphoteric
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for amphoteric
Historical Examples
In regard to the indications of the amphoteric character of stronger acids, see Chapter XV.
Bodies of this kind are known as "amphoteric electrolytes," since they yield both positive and negative ions, if dissociated.
The Chemistry of Plant LifeRoscoe Wilfred Thatcher
amphoteric
- chem able to function as either a base or an acidAlso: amphiprotic
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Word Origin
C19: from Greek amphoteros each of two (from amphō both) + -ic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for amphoteric
adj.
"neither acid nor alkaline," 1832, from Greek amphoteros "each or both of two," variant of amphi-.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
amphoteric
(ăm′fə-tĕr′ĭk)- Having the capacity to react as either an acid or a base.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
amphoteric
[ăm′fə-tĕr′ĭk]
- Capable of reacting chemically as either an acid or a base. Water, ammonia, and the hydroxides of certain metals are amphoteric.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.