formate

American  

[fawr-meyt] / ˈfɔr meɪt /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of formic acid.

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formate British  

/ ˈfɔːmeɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of formic acid containing the ion HCOO ^– or the group HCOO–

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formate Scientific  

/ fôr′māt′ /

1. A salt or ester of formic acid, containing the group HCOO.

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Etymology

Origin of formate

First recorded in 1800–10; form(ic) + -ate ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

formate

This steers the reaction toward methanol production through the formate pathway.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026

Their breakthrough involves a hybrid device that brings together light-absorbing organic polymers and bacterial enzymes to transform sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into formate, a clean fuel that can power additional chemical reactions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025

This metabolism creates toxic by-products called formaldehyde, formate and formic acid.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2024

The stored formate particles are simply dissolved in water and pumped into the fuel cell as needed.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

Subcultivate suspicious colonies on the various media, incubate anaerobically, making control cultivations on glucose formate agar, stab and streak, to incubate aerobically and carry out further inoculation experiments with the resulting growths.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by J. W. H. (John William Henry) Eyre