catalyst

[ kat-l-ist ]
See synonyms for: catalystcatalysts on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.

  2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.

  1. 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.

  2. a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.

Origin of catalyst

1
First recorded in 1900–05; cataly(sis) + (-i)st

Other 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

British Dictionary definitions for catalyst

catalyst

/ (ˈkætəlɪst) /


noun
  1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself suffering any permanent chemical change: Compare inhibitor (def. 2)

  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

catalyst

[ kătl-ĭst ]


  1. 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-ĭtĭk)

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

Cultural definitions for catalyst

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 term catalyst is often used to refer to the prime agent of any change: “She was the catalyst for the reorganization.”

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.