reducing agent

American

noun

Chemistry.

a substance that causes another substance to undergo reduction and that is oxidized in the process.

reducing agent British

noun

chem a substance that reduces another substance in a chemical reaction, being itself oxidized in the process Compare oxidizing agent

"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

Etymology

Origin of reducing agent

First recorded in 1795–1805

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.

See Examples For:

reducing agent

Using green hydrogen as a reducing agent avoids these greenhouse gas emissions.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2024

But the milling did prompt the aluminium to act as a reducing agent, as he expected.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 30, 2023

"What we do is basically swapping carbon for electricity as a reducing agent," explained Adam Rauwerdink, the company's senior vice president of business development.

From Salon ● May 17, 2022

The compounds formed are crystalline, ionic hydrides that contain the hydride anion, H−, a strong reducing agent and a strong base, which reacts vigorously with water and other acids to form hydrogen gas.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

It has a great affinity for oxygen and is therefore combustible and a good reducing agent.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023