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iodine

[ahy-uh-dahyn, -din; in Chemistry also ahy-uh-deen]
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noun Chemistry.
  1. a nonmetallic halogen element occurring at ordinary temperatures as a grayish-black crystalline solid that sublimes to a dense violet vapor when heated: used in medicine as an antiseptic. Symbol: I; atomic weight: 126.904; atomic number: 53; specific gravity: (solid) 4.93 at 20°C.
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Also i·o·din [ahy-uh-din] /ˈaɪ ə dɪn/.

Origin of iodine

1814; < French iode (< Greek īṓdēs, orig. rust-colored, but by folk etymology taken as í(on) violet + -ōdēs -ode1) + -ine2; introduced by H. Davy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for iodine

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Crystals of iodine as opposed to permanganate of potash for antiseptic he discussed.

    The Leopard Woman

    Stewart Edward White

  • The doctors had vainly tried every remedy, iodine, blistering, and cauterising.

  • The iodine will color the leaf dark where the cells contain starch.

    Common Science

    Carleton W. Washburne

  • You can tell what foods have starch in them by testing them with iodine.

    Common Science

    Carleton W. Washburne

  • The preparations of iodine have also been recommended, and they are very serviceable.

British Dictionary definitions for iodine

iodine

noun
  1. a bluish-black element of the halogen group that sublimates into a violet irritating gas. Its compounds are used in medicine and photography and in dyes. The radioisotope iodine-131 (radioiodine), with a half-life of 8 days, is used in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease. Symbol: I; atomic no: 53; atomic wt: 126.90447; valency: 1, 3, 5, or 7; relative density: 4.93; melting pt: 113.5°C; boiling pt: 184.35°C
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Word Origin

C19: from French iode, from Greek iōdēs rust-coloured, but taken to mean violet-coloured, through a mistaken derivation from ion violet
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

Word Origin and History for iodine

n.

1814, formed by English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) from French iode "iodine," coined 1812 by French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac from Greek ioeides "violet-colored," from ion "the violet; dark blue flower," + eidos "appearance" (see -oid). Davy added the chemical suffix -ine (2) to make it analogous with chlorine and fluorine. So called from the color of the vapor given off when the crystals are heated.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
iodine in Medicine

iodine

(ī′ə-dīn′, -dĭn, -dēn′)
n.
  1. A poisonous halogen element having compounds used as germicides, antiseptics, and food supplements, with numerous radioactive isotopes, which are used in diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases and neuroendocrine tumors. Atomic number 53.
  2. A liquid containing iodine dissolved in ethyl alcohol, used as an antiseptic for wounds.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
iodine in Science

iodine

[ī′ə-dīn′]
I
  1. A shiny, grayish-black element of the halogen group. It is corrosive and poisonous and occurs in very small amounts in nature except for seaweed, in which it is abundant. Iodine compounds are used in medicine, antiseptics, and dyes. Atomic number 53; atomic weight 126.9045; melting point 113.5°C; boiling point 184.35°C; specific gravity (solid, at 20°C) 4.93; valence 1, 3, 5, 7. See Periodic Table.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.