catalyst
Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.
something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.
a person or thing that precipitates an event or change: His imprisonment by the government served as the catalyst that helped transform social unrest into revolution.
a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.
Origin of catalyst
1Other words from catalyst
- self-cat·a·lyst, noun
- sem·i·cat·a·lyst, noun
Words Nearby catalyst
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use catalyst in a sentence
South Africa provides 84% of the platinum group metals needed for fuel cells and automotive catalysts.
Europe relies on foreign raw materials to power its green and digital future. Now it wants to mine them at home | David Meyer | September 3, 2020 | FortuneThat time spent in Ghana and across West and sub-Saharan Africa became my catalyst for starting Tala, and I regularly encourage my team members to take on a “figure it out!”
The advice that helped this year’s 40 under 40 find their own path | kdunn6 | September 3, 2020 | FortuneFloyd’s death was the catalyst for this year’s earlier protests, and Blake’s shooting reignited the demonstrations.
Violent protests against police brutality in the ’60s and ’90s changed public opinion | German Lopez | August 28, 2020 | VoxSo, more than anything, the endorsement was a catalyst for us to actually say let’s do something, we don’t have to sit around and wait on what are we going to do, endorse or not endorse.
Log Cabin’s new project seeks to duplicate success of Grenell video | Chris Johnson | August 26, 2020 | Washington BladeBrittney Sykes is a defensive catalyst for the Sparks and dramatically improved her efficiency from two.
There’s No WNBA All-Star Game This Year, But We Picked The Rosters Anyway | Howard Megdal | August 26, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
But the copper performs another important function: working as a catalyst in the distillation process.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters | | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBrunch is a catalyst, brunch is the enforcer of different-rules-for-the-weekend.
Don’t Diss the Beauty of Brunch: Defending Our Favorite Meal | Tim Teeman | October 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe are proud that our film could be a catalyst for even a small change in the ways these boys are treated in China.
China Doesn't Want You to See the Internet Addiction Film 'Web Junkie' | Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia | August 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOther non-design services, like Adobe Business catalyst, which hosts email fundraising campaigns and e-commerce, also went down.
Adobe’s ‘Creative Cloud’ Goes Offline—and Takes a Million Designers With It | Kyle Chayka | May 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd that question is the catalyst for all the ambiguity throughout the film.
How ‘Transcendence’ Director Wally Pfister Became Christopher Nolan’s Secret Weapon | Andrew Romano | April 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis simple act may have been the catalyst which gave Burl the solution to the problem.
The Forgotten Planet | Murray LeinsterWe may, then, compare the catalyst to what is known as "a good mixer" in society.
Creative Chemistry | Edwin E. SlossonThe tactful hostess, the salon leader, is a social catalyst.
Creative Chemistry | Edwin E. SlossonWhen hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with a catalyst, such as permanganate of potash, it breaks down into oxygen and water.
Operation: Outer Space | William Fitzgerald JenkinsThe catalyst which was necessary for the final reaction would be brought to him by Polter.
Beyond the Vanishing Point | Raymond King Cummings
British Dictionary definitions for catalyst
/ (ˈkætəlɪst) /
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself suffering any permanent chemical change: Compare inhibitor (def. 2)
a person or thing that causes a change
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 catalyst
[ kăt′l-ĭst ]
A substance that starts or speeds up a chemical reaction while undergoing no permanent change itself. The enzymes in saliva, for example, are catalysts in digestion.
Other words from catalyst
- catalytic adjective (kăt′l-ĭt′ĭk)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for catalyst
[ (kat-uh-list) ]
In chemistry, a substance that causes a chemical reaction to occur but is not itself involved in the reaction.
Notes for catalyst
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.
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