Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

oxidation state

American  

noun

Chemistry.
  1. the state of an element or ion in a compound with regard to the electrons gained or lost by the element or ion in the reaction that formed the compound, expressed as a positive or negative number indicating the ionic charge of the element or ion.


oxidation state Scientific  
  1. See valence


Etymology

Origin of oxidation state

First recorded in 1945–50