anion
Americannoun
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a negatively charged ion, as one attracted to the anode in electrolysis.
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any negatively charged atom or group of atoms (opposed to cation).
noun
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An ion with net negative charge, having more electrons than protons. In electrolysis, anions migrate to a positively charged anode.
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Compare cation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anion
Coined in 1834 by English polymath Willaim Whewell (1794–1866) and popularized by English chemist Michael Faraday (1791–1867) in his collection Experimental Researches in Electricity; from Greek, neuter of aniṓn “going up,” present participle of aniénai “to go up,” from an- an- 3 + iénai “to go”; modeled on anode ( def. )
Explanation
An anion is an atom that has more electrons than protons—in other words, an anion is an atom with a negative charge. In a chemistry class, you'll come across the word ion frequently. That's an atom that either has extra electrons, giving it a negative charge, or is missing electrons, resulting in a positive charge. The negatively charged ions are called anions, and the positively charged ions are cations. In Greek, anion means "thing going up," which describes the movement anions make during the chemical process of electrolysis.
Vocabulary lists containing anion
Structure and Properties of Matter - Middle School
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The ACT Science Test: Chemistry Review 1
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Chemistry: Structure and Properties of Matter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While defect ordering has been observed numerous times in perovskite oxides, the same cannot be said about hybrid halide perovskites, composed of an organic cation, a metal cation, and a halide anion.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024
Computational chemistry, conducted by Zurek and Miller, was used to illustrate the macrocycles and their anion binding on a molecular scale.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2023
His plan is to explore anion batteries that provide the necessary components without using limited minerals like the ones lithium batteries use and that could potentially increase how much energy a battery can hold.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 12, 2022
When all other parameters are kept constant, doubling the charge of both the cation and anion quadruples the lattice energy.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019
DEFINITION: A salt is a substance formed by the union of the anion of an acid with the cation of a base.
From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by William McPherson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
