unsaturated

[ uhn-sach-uh-rey-tid ]

adjective
  1. not saturated; having the power to dissolve still more of a substance.

  2. Chemistry. (of an organic compound) having a double or triple bond and capable of taking on elements or groups by direct chemical combination without the liberation of other elements or compounds, as ethylene, CH2=CH2; undersaturated.

Origin of unsaturated

1
First recorded in 1750–60; un-1 + saturated

Other words from unsaturated

  • un·sat·u·rate [uhn-sach-er-it, -uh-reyt], /ʌnˈsætʃ ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt/, noun
  • un·sat·u·ra·tion, noun

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How to use unsaturated in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unsaturated

unsaturated

/ (ʌnˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) /


adjective
  1. not saturated

  2. (of a chemical compound, esp an organic compound) containing one or more double or triple bonds and thus capable of undergoing addition reactions

  1. (of a fat, esp a vegetable fat) containing a high proportion of fatty acids having double bonds

  2. (of a solution) containing less solute than a saturated solution

Derived forms of unsaturated

  • unsaturation, 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

Scientific definitions for unsaturated

unsaturated

[ ŭn-săchə-rā′tĭd ]


  1. Relating to an organic compound in which two or more of the carbon atoms are joined by a double or triple bond and therefore can be combined with additional atoms or radicals. Benzene and acetylene are examples of unsaturated compounds. Compare saturated See also monounsaturated polyunsaturated.

  2. Relating to a solution that is capable of dissolving more solute than it already contains.

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