tetravalent

[ te-truh-vey-luhnt, te-trav-uh- ]

adjectiveChemistry.

having a valence of four, as Pt+4.
quadrivalent.

Origin of tetravalent

First recorded in 1865–70; tetra- + -valent

Other words from tetravalent

tet·ra·va·lence, tet·ra·va·len·cy, noun

Words Nearby tetravalent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tetravalent in a sentence

A tetravalent atom, such as that of Carbon, can combine with four monovalent atoms.
The Making of Species | Douglas Dewar
Similarly, we have trivalent, tetravalent, pentavalent elements.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry | William McPherson

British Dictionary definitions for tetravalent

tetravalent

/ (ˌtɛtrəˈveɪlənt) /

adjectivechem

having a valency of four
Also: quadrivalent having four valencies

Derived forms of tetravalent

tetravalency, noun

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

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