oxygen
Americannoun
noun
-
A nonmetallic element that exists in its free form as a colorless, odorless gas and makes up about 21 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. It is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust and occurs in many compounds, including water, carbon dioxide, and iron ore. Oxygen combines with most elements, is required for combustion, and is essential for life in most organisms. Atomic number 8; atomic weight 15.9994; melting point −218.8°C; boiling point −182.9°C; gas density at 0°C 1.429 grams per liter; valence 2.
-
See Periodic Table
Word History
In 1786, the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier coined a term for the element oxygen (oxygène in French). He used Greek words for the coinage: oxy– means “sharp,” and –gen means “producing.” Oxygen was called the “sharp-producing” element because it was thought to be essential for making acids. Lavoisier also coined the name of the element hydrogen, the “water-producing” element, in 1788. Soon after, in 1791, another French chemist, J. A. Chaptal, introduced the word nitrogen, the “niter-producing” element, referring to its discovery from an analysis of nitric acid.
Discover More
Oxygen is a waste product of green plants and photosynthesis.
When we breathe in oxygen, it is carried by the hemoglobin in our blood throughout the body, where it is used to generate energy by oxidation. (See respiration.)
Other Word Forms
- oxygenic adjective
- oxygenicity noun
- oxygenous adjective
Etymology
Origin of oxygen
First recorded in 1780–90; from French oxygène, equivalent to oxy- + -gène; oxy- 1, -gen
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.
COMs are carbon based molecules that also contain elements such as oxygen and nitrogen, which are necessary for living systems.
From Science Daily
The samples suggest the presence of a liquid meltwater layer that lacks dissolved oxygen.
From Science Daily
Soon “the spaceship is forced to land on a distant planet, and Rodolfo’s hallucinations grow increasingly intense until he finally succumbs to oxygen deprivation.”
Form’s iron-air batteries generate electricity through a chemical reaction involving oxygen, water and iron powder that mimics how old pieces of metal gather rust.
From Barron's
Form’s iron-air batteries generate electricity through a chemical reaction involving oxygen, water and iron powder that mimics how old pieces of metal gather rust.
From Barron's
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.
