chirality
/ (kaɪˈrælɪtɪ) /
noun
the configuration or handedness (left or right) of an asymmetric, optically active chemical compound: Also called: dissymmetry
Origin of chirality
1C19: from Greek kheir hand + -al 1 + -ity
Derived forms of chirality
- chiral, adjective
Words Nearby chirality
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 chirality
chirality
[ kī-răl′ĭ-tē ]
The characteristic of a structure (usually a molecule) that makes it impossible to superimpose it on its mirror image. Also called handedness See also helicity invariance optical isomer.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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