oxygen

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: Oxygen

English[edit]

Chemical element
O
Previous: nitrogen (N)
Next: fluorine (F)

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French oxygène (originally in the form principe oxygène, a variant of principe oxigine ‘acidifying principle’, suggested by Lavoisier), from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, sharp) + γένος (génos, birth), referring to oxygen's supposed role in the formation of acids.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • enPR: ŏk'sĭjən, IPA(key): /ˈɒksɪd͡ʒən/
  • (file)

Noun[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

oxygen (countable and uncountable, plural oxygens)

  1. The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas.
    Hypernym: chalcogen
  2. Molecular oxygen (O2), a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature, also called dioxygen.
    • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:
      Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light.
  3. (medicine) A mixture of oxygen and other gases, administered to a patient to help them breathe.
  4. (countable) An atom of this element.
    • 2013, Spencer L. Seager, Michael R. Slabaugh, Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, page 479:
      Look first at any structure to see if there is a carbon with two oxygens attached. Hemiacetals, hemiketals, acetals, and ketals are all alike in that regard.
  5. (figurative) A condition or environment in which something can thrive.
    Silence is the oxygen of shame.
    They hoped to starve the terrorists of the oxygen of publicity.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Burmese: အောက်ဆီဂျင် (aukhcigyang)

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Danish[edit]

Noun[edit]

oxygen n (singular definite oxygenet, not used in plural form)

  1. oxygen
    Synonym: ilt

German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

oxygen (strong nominative masculine singular oxygener, not comparable)

  1. (chemistry) oxygenic
    Antonym: anoxygen
    oxygene Photosyntheseoxygenic photosynthesis

Declension[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin oxygenium.

Noun[edit]

oxygen n

  1. (rare) oxygen
    Synonym: syre

Usage notes[edit]

  • The word oxygen is mostly only used on gas tubes and canisters for international adaptation, plus to reduce the risk of mistaking syre (oxygen) with syra (acid).