monatomic
Americanadjective
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having one atom in the molecule.
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containing one replaceable atom or group.
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having a valence of one.
adjective
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(of an element) having or consisting of single atoms
argon is a monatomic gas
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(of a compound or molecule) having only one atom or group that can be replaced in a chemical reaction
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a less common word for monovalent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, the pure metalloids form covalent crystals like the nonmetals, but like the metals, they generally do not form monatomic anions.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
Read the labels of several commercial products and identify monatomic ions of at least six main group elements contained in the products.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
The noble gases are all monatomic, whereas the other nonmetal gases—hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and chlorine—normally exist as the diatomic molecules H2, N2, O2, F2, and Cl2.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
The ions that we have discussed so far are called monatomic ions, that is, they are ions formed from only one atom.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
In the more complex gases the specific heat varies considerably with temperature; only in the case of monatomic gases does it remain constant.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
