functional group
- 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.
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Origin of functional group
First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
functional group
- chem the group of atoms in a compound, such as the hydroxyl group in an alcohol, that determines the chemical behaviour of the compound
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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
- 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.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.