triatomic

[ trahy-uh-tom-ik ]

/ ˌtraɪ əˈtɒm ɪk /

adjective Chemistry.

having three atoms in a molecule.

having three replaceable hydrogen atoms.

having three replaceable hydroxyl groups.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby triatomic

triassic, triathlete, triathlon, triatic stay, triatoma, triatomic, triaxial, triazine, triazoic, triazolam, triazole

Origin of triatomic

First recorded in 1860–65; tri- + atomic

OTHER WORDS FROM triatomic

tri·a·tom·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for triatomic

Triatomic, trī-a-tom′ik, adj. consisting of three atoms: trivalent.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
The corresponding group consists of nitrogen, vanadium and niobium; they are triatomic, paramagnetic, and negative.
Occult Chemistry|Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater

British Dictionary definitions for triatomic

triatomic

/ (ˌtraɪəˈtɒmɪk) /

adjective

chem having three atoms in the molecule

Derived forms of triatomic

triatomically, adverb

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