molecular sieve

noun Chemistry.

a compound with molecule-size pores, as some sodium aluminum silicates, that chemically locks molecules in them: used in purification and separation processes.

Nearby words

molecular layer of cerebellar cortex, molecular medicine, molecular movement, molecular orbital, molecular rotation, molecular sieve, molecular spectrum, molecular surgery, molecular volume, molecular weight, molecularity

Origin of molecular sieve

First recorded in 1925–30

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for molecular sieve

molecular sieve

noun

chem a material that can absorb large amounts of certain compounds while not absorbing others and is thus suitable for use in separating mixtures

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