Dehalogenates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Eliminates halogen atoms such as chlorine, bromine, or fluorine from an organic compound
2. Removes halogen elements bound to a molecule by breaking chemical bonds
3. Takes away halogen groups from substances during chemical reactions

Etymology: "Dehalogenates" is the third-person singular present form of "dehalogenate," a verb meaning to remove halogen atoms from a compound. The verb is built from the prefix "de-," meaning "removing or reversing," and "halogenate," which means to add halogen atoms to a substance. The base word "halogenate" rests on "halogen," a term from chemistry combining Greek "hals," meaning "salt" or "sea-salt," with "-gen," meaning "producing." Halogens were named because they readily form salts with metals, so the word describes elements that generate salt-like compounds. "Dehalogenate" therefore reverses that process: a chemist who dehalogenates a molecule strips away fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine atoms, often as a step in building a different compound.

Synonyms: removes halogens, dehalogenizes

Antonyms: halogenates, adds halogens