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View synonyms for oxidize

oxidize

[ ok-si-dahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, ox·i·dized, ox·i·diz·ing.
  1. to convert (an element) into an oxide; combine with oxygen.
  2. to cover with a coating of oxide or rust.
  3. to take away hydrogen, as by the action of oxygen; add oxygen or any nonmetal.
  4. to remove electrons from (an atom or molecule), thereby increasing the valence. Compare reduce ( def 12 ).


verb (used without object)

, ox·i·dized, ox·i·diz·ing.
  1. to become oxidized.
  2. (especially of white wine) to lose freshness after prolonged exposure to air and often to darken in color.

oxidize

/ ˈɒksɪˌdaɪz /

verb

  1. to undergo or cause to undergo a chemical reaction with oxygen, as in formation of an oxide
  2. to form or cause to form a layer of metal oxide, as in rusting
  3. to lose or cause to lose hydrogen atoms
  4. to undergo or cause to undergo a decrease in the number of electrons Compare reduce
“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

oxidize

/ ŏksĭ-dīz′ /

  1. To undergo or cause to undergo oxidation.
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Derived Forms

  • ˌoxidiˈzation, noun
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Other Words From

  • oxi·diza·ble ox·i·da·ble [ok, -si-d, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
  • oxi·diza·bili·ty noun
  • anti·oxi·dizing adjective
  • half-oxi·dized adjective
  • non·oxi·diza·ble adjective
  • non·oxi·dizing adjective
  • over·oxi·dize verb overoxidized overoxidizing
  • re·oxi·dize verb reoxidized reoxidizing
  • under·oxi·dize verb (used with object) underoxidized underoxidizing
  • un·oxi·diza·ble adjective
  • un·oxi·dized adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of oxidize1

First recorded in 1795–1805; oxide + -ize
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Example Sentences

This suggested that microscopic plankton living on the surface of the seas produce sulfur in the form of a gas, dimethyl sulphide, that once in the atmosphere, oxidizes and forms small particles called aerosols.

This process poses challenges including selective addition of bromine at the ortho position, difficulty working with certain chemical groups, and the tendency of o-bromobenzenethiols to oxidize easily in air releasing unpleasant odors.

Exposure to air oxidizes the metal sulfides in bedrock, releasing the metals into groundwater, which flows into surface streams.

Bella moths are able to avoid the ill effects of pyrrolizidine alkaloids by using a special enzyme that oxidizes the molecule, rendering it harmless.

Outside the laboratory, other oxidizing pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, which cannot be tested in laboratory experiments because of their toxicity, can amplify the effect of ozone.

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