molecule
Americannoun
-
Chemistry, Physics. the smallest physical unit of an element or compound, consisting of one or more like atoms in an element and two or more different atoms in a compound.
-
Chemistry. a quantity of a substance, the weight of which, measured in any chosen unit, is numerically equal to the molecular weight; gram molecule.
-
any very small particle.
noun
-
the simplest unit of a chemical compound that can exist, consisting of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds
-
a very small particle
Other Word Forms
- submolecule noun
- supermolecule noun
Etymology
Origin of molecule
First recorded in 1785–95; earlier molecula, from New Latin, from Latin mōlē(s) “mass” ( molar 2 ( def. ) ) + -cula -cule 1
Compare meaning
How does molecule compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Traditional CDT uses these tumor conditions to spark the formation of hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive molecules made of oxygen and hydrogen that contain an unpaired electron.
From Science Daily
This sophisticated form of Raman spectroscopy uses a laser to detect the unique chemical fingerprints of molecules within tissue.
From Science Daily
In certain scenarios, nearly half of the modeled particles transported newly created organic molecules from the broader protosolar nebula into Jupiter's circumplanetary disk, where they were incorporated into the growing moons with little chemical change.
From Science Daily
Chemogenetics involves directing cell behavior with small external molecules, often medications or dietary compounds, that activate specially engineered switches inside targeted cells.
From Science Daily
When the team compared their findings with earlier research, they discovered that immune signaling molecules called cytokines can trigger many of the same cellular changes observed during aging.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
