ionize

[ ahy-uh-nahyz ]

/ ˈaɪ əˌnaɪz /

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verb (used with object), i·on·ized, i·on·iz·ing.

to separate or change into ions.

to produce ions in.

verb (used without object), i·on·ized, i·on·iz·ing.

to become changed into the form of ions, as by dissolving.

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Also especially British, i·on·ise .

Origin of ionize

First recorded in 1895–1900; ion + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM ionize

i·on·iz·a·ble, adjectivei·on·i·za·tion, nouni·on·iz·er, nounnon·i·on·ized, adjective

non·i·on·iz·ing, adjectiveself-i·on·i·za·tion, nounun·i·o·nized, adjectiveun·un·ion·ized, adjective

Words nearby ionize

ionium, ionization, ionization chamber, ionization or ionizing, ionization potential, ionize, ionizer, ionizing radiation, I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country, iono-, ionogen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ionize in a sentence

Within Anderson’s chamber, liquid droplets condensed along the paths of energetic charged particles, a result of the particles ionizing gas molecules as they zipped along.
How matter’s hidden complexity unleashed the power of nuclear physics|Emily Conover|April 8, 2021|Science News
Those ionized particles are then sent back out into a room to find and destroy microorganisms.
Air purifier company seeks emergency FDA approval for device that rids indoor air of virus|Dalvin Brown|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
That’s one clear advantage for ionizing purifiers, which don’t have a filter that needs replacing.
Can an air purifier help protect you from COVID-19?|dzanemorris|August 22, 2020|Fortune
Thanks to better technology and pressure from regulators, ionizing filters that don’t generate ozone are now available, and the California Air Resources Board has created a list of those that emit only safe levels of ozone.
Can an air purifier help protect you from COVID-19?|dzanemorris|August 22, 2020|Fortune

It comes from hydrogen gas inside the bubbles that was electrically charged, or ionized.
Spotted: Milky Way’s giant gas bubbles in visible light|Emily Conover|July 16, 2020|Science News For Students
Second, the upper atmosphere of Eisberg was pretty much pure hydrogen, which is somewhat easier to ionize than oxygen or nitrogen.
Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett
Inorganic materials, when dissolved in water, usually ionize very readily.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
Certain ultra-violet rays also ionize the air and cause the formation of ozone.
Artificial Light|M. Luckiesh
He's developed a system, which, thanks to the power we can get in that atostor, will sextuply ionize oxygen gas.
The Ultimate Weapon|John Wood Campbell
Organic compounds, on the other hand, ionize only very slowly, if at all.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

British Dictionary definitions for ionize

ionize

ionise

/ (ˈaɪəˌnaɪz) /

verb

to change or become changed into ions

Derived forms of ionize

ionizable or ionisable, adjective

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

Medical definitions for ionize

ionize

[ ī′ə-nīz′ ]

To dissociate atoms or molecules into electrically charged atoms or radicals.

Other words from ionize

i′on•iz′er n.

Scientific definitions for ionize

ionize

[ ī′ə-nīz′ ]

To give an atom or group of atoms a net electric charge by adding or removing one or more electrons.

To form ions in a substance. Lightning ionizes air, for example.