functional group

noun

a group of atoms responsible for the characteristic behavior of the class of compounds in which the group occurs, as the hydroxyl group in alcohols.

Origin of functional group

First recorded in 1935–40

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British Dictionary definitions for functional group

functional group

noun

chem the group of atoms in a compound, such as the hydroxyl group in an alcohol, that determines the chemical behaviour of the compound

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

functional group in Medicine

functional group

An atom or group of atoms that replaces hydrogen in an organic compound and that defines the structure of a family of compounds and determines the properties of the family.

functional group in Science

functional group

An atom or group of atoms that replaces hydrogen in an organic compound. Functional groups define the structure of a family of compounds and determine its properties. The carboxyl and hydroxyl groups are functional groups that define the compounds they are part of as organic acids and alcohols, respectively.