racemic

American  

[rey-see-mik, -sem-ik, ruh-] / reɪˈsi mɪk, -ˈsɛm ɪk, rə- /

adjective

Chemistry.

1. noting or pertaining to any of various organic compounds in which racemism occurs.

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racemic British  

/ rəˈsiːmɪzəm, rəˈsiːmɪk, -ˈsɛm-, ˈræsɪˌmɪzəm /

adjective

1. chem of, concerned with, or being a mixture of equal amounts of enantiomers and consequently having no optical activity

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racemic Scientific  

/ rə-sē′mĭk /

1. Relating to a chemical compound that contains equal quantities of the dextrorotatory and levorotatory forms of the compound and therefore does not rotate the plane of incident polarized light.

2. Relating to or consisting of racemes.

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Other Word Forms

• racemism noun

Etymology

Origin of racemic

1830–40; < French racémique < Latin racēm ( us ) raceme + French -ique -ic

Example Sentences

The reaction had been published earlier by another researcher, but had never been investigated for its ability to produce homochiral peptides from racemic or near-racemic mixes of amino acids.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

The Dom D'Agostino/Patrick Arnold diester is made of 2 molecules of acetoacetate bound to a central racemic butanediol.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2017

Hence, it may exist in dextro, levo, and racemic forms.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred

Energetic oxidation gives erythritic acid and mesotartaric acid. i-Erythrite and the racemic mixture of the dextro and laevo varieties were synthesized by Griner in 1893 from divinyl.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various