molecule

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See also: molécule

English[edit]

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Wikipedia
Structural formula and two molecule models (ball-and-stick and space-filling) of caffeine.

Etymology[edit]

From French molécule,[1] from New Latin molecula (a molecule),[2] diminutive of Latin moles (a mass); see mole + -cule.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

molecule (plural molecules or moleculae or moleculæ)

  1. (chemistry) The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
    Hydrogen chloride is a diatomic molecule, consisting of a hydrogen atom and a chlorine atom.
    • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist[1], Sigma Xi, →OCLC, archived from the original on 3 September 2013:
      The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. This system splits water molecules and delivers some of their electrons to other molecules that help build up carbohydrates.
  2. A tiny amount.

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References[edit]

  1. ^ 1674, Pierre Le Gallois, Conversations tirées de l'Académie de M. l'abbé Bourdelot, contenant diverses recherches et observations physiques, cited in Quemada, Bernard (1965), Datations et documents lexicographiques (tome 3)
  2. ^ early XVII cent., Pierre Gassendi, cited in Le Grand Robert de la Langue Française (2e édn) tome 6. →ISBN. pp. 522–23.

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˌmoː.ləˈky.lə/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: mo‧le‧cu‧le

Noun[edit]

molecule n or f or m (plural moleculen or molecules, diminutive moleculetje n)

  1. Alternative form of molecuul.

Friulian[edit]

Noun[edit]

molecule f (plural moleculis)

  1. molecule