Debrominate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To chemically remove one or more bromine atoms from a molecule, typically altering its structure and properties
2. The process of eliminating bromine elements from an organic or inorganic compound through chemical reactions
3. A reaction in which bromine substituents are extracted or removed from a compound, often to reduce halogen content

Etymology: Bromine takes its name from the Greek "brômos," meaning "stench," a fitting label for a dark red liquid with a sharp, unpleasant odour. The element was identified in 1826 by the French chemist Antoine Jérôme Balard, who isolated it from brine, and the name was coined from that Greek root in French as "brome." English then adopted the element name, and chemists built a family of terms from it, using the suffix "-ine" for the element and "-ate" for a verb meaning to combine or treat with it. "Debrominate" is a plain chemical formation: the prefix "de-," meaning "removal of" (from Latin "dē," "down, away from"), attached to "brominate." Its meaning follows directly from that construction, describing the reverse of brominating a compound.

Synonyms: remove bromine, debrominize

Antonyms: brominate, add bromine