valency

American  

[vey-luhn-see] / ˈveɪ lən si /

noun

Chemistry.

valencies plural

1. valence.

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valency British  

/ ˈveɪlənsɪ /

noun

1. chem a property of atoms or groups, equal to the number of atoms of hydrogen that the atom or group could combine with or displace in forming compounds

2. linguistics the number of satellite noun phrases with which a verb combines

   the English verb `give' takes a subject and two objects, so it has a valency of three

3. immunol

   1. the number of antigen-binding sites on an antibody molecule

   2. the number of antigen-binding sites with which an antigen can combine

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• valencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of valency

C19: from Latin valentia strength, from valēre to be strong

Example Sentences

The theory of valency thus founded has dominated the subsequent development of chemical doctrine, and forms the groundwork upon which the fabric of modern structural chemistry reposes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language" by Various

As hydrogen is generally taken as the standard, in practice the valency of an atom is the number of hydrogen atoms it will combine with or replace.

From The New Physics and Its Evolution by Poincaré, Lucien

And it is equally plain that where the atoms are numerous, the exact plan of grouping may sometimes be susceptible of change without doing violence to the law of valency.

From A History of Science — Volume 4 by Williams, Henry Smith

The brilliant researches of Frankland on the organo-metallic compounds, and his consequent doctrine of saturation capacity or valency of elements and radicals, relieved Kolbe’s views of all obscurity.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

It will be seen, however, that the absolute disposition of the fourth valency may be ignored in a great many cases, and consequently the complex may be adequately represented as a hexagon.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various