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hydroxy-

  1. a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds in which the hydroxyl group is present:

    hydroxyketone.



hydroxy

1

/ haɪˈdrɒksɪ /

adjective

  1. (of a chemical compound) containing one or more hydroxyl groups
“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


hydroxy-

2

combining_form

  1. (in chemical compounds) indicating the presence of one or more hydroxyl groups or ions
“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

hydroxy

/ hī-drŏk /

  1. Containing the hydroxyl group (OH).


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Word History and Origins

Origin of hydroxy-1

C19: hydro- + oxy ( gen )

Origin of hydroxy-2

from hydro- + oxy ( gen )
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Example Sentences

This compound combines with hydrocyanic acid to form a nitrile which hydrolyses to dichlor-hydroxy iso-butyric acid.

The soluble red, blue, and violet pigments are glucosides of various hydroxy-derivatives of the anthocyan nucleus.

Another of these substances is ellagic acid C14H6O8, a double lactone of a hexa-hydroxy-diphenyldicarboxylic acid.

But along with these three general classes are found all kinds of connecting links: Acid salts, basic salts, hydroxy acids, etc.

The next group may be called hydroxy-azo dyes, and are quite of modern introduction.

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Words That Use hydroxy-

What does hydroxy- mean?

Hydroxy– is a combining form used like a prefix denoting chemical compounds in which the hydroxyl group is present. The hydroxyl group is a group of univalent compounds that contain oxygen and hydrogen, as indicated with the symbols -OH. It is used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.

Hydroxy– comes from the combination of two forms. The first form is hydr, meaning “hydrogen.” The second is oxy, meaning “oxygen.”

What are variants of hydroxy-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, hydroxy– becomes hydrox-, as in hydroxide.

Examples of hydroxy-

One example of a scientific term that features the form hydroxy– is hydroxyketone, “a ketone containing a hydroxyl group.”

The form hydroxy– denotes the presence of a hydroxyl group, as we have seen. A ketone is any of a class of organic compounds containing a carbonyl group, CO, attached to two alkyl groups. Hydroxyketone literally means “a ketone with a hydroxyl group.”

What are some words that use or are closely related to the combining form hydroxy-?

What are some other forms that hydroxy– may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

Methyl is a scientific term meaning “containing the methyl group.” With this in mind, what kind of chemical compound is hydroxymethyl?

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