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side chain

American  

noun

Chemistry.
  1. an open chain of atoms attached to an atom of a larger chain, or to a ring.


side chain British  

noun

  1. chem a group of atoms bound to an atom, usually a carbon, that forms part of a larger chain or ring in a molecule

"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

side chain Scientific  
/ sīd /
  1. A chain or ring in an organic molecule that branches off from a central structure or from a part that is a point of reference.


Etymology

Origin of side chain

First recorded in 1900–05