Bichromates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of salt derived from bichromic acid, containing two chromate anions
2. Compounds known for their use in laboratory settings as oxidizing agents
3. Materials composed of combinations of chromium ions in different oxidation states, often used in industrial applications

Etymology: The word is the plural of "bichromate," and its history is a compound built from two existing pieces. The first is "bi-," the Latin prefix meaning "two" (from the same root that gives English "bicycle" and "binary"). The second is "chromate," a salt of chromic acid. That acid takes its name from the Greek "chrōma," meaning "colour," because chromium compounds are so strongly coloured. Put together, a bichromate is a chromate with an extra chromic acid unit attached, and the plural simply names several such salts.