Bromines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of chemical compounds containing the element bromine in a bonded state, often used in various industrial applications
2. Multiple organic or inorganic substances that incorporate bromine, which may have different chemical behaviors and properties
3. Chemical derivatives involving bromine, typically utilized in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals

Etymology: The most striking thing about "bromines" is that its root means "stink." The element bromine was named for its pungent, unpleasant odour: the Greek "brômos" meant stench, and French chemists took that root as "brome" for the newly identified substance. English then adopted the French name in the form "brome," and the element's name was given the familiar "-ine" ending, as in chlorine and iodine, to mark it as a chemical element. "Bromines" is simply the plural of "bromine," so it refers to multiple bromine-containing compounds rather than the element itself. The plural form appears in chemistry because a single element can combine into many distinct derivatives, each counted separately, much as "chlorines" or "fluorines" are used.

Synonyms: bromide elements