Deoxidiser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical agent or substance that removes oxygen from a material or compound
2. An additive or compound used to eliminate or reduce oxygen content in metals or solutions
3. A material that strips away oxygen or prevents oxidation in industrial or chemical processes

Etymology: Oxygen got its name from a mistake. The chemist Antoine Lavoisier believed oxygen was the essential ingredient in all acids, so he named it from the Greek "oxys," meaning sharp or acid, and "-gen," meaning producing. Later chemists found acidic substances without any oxygen, which undermined the theory, but the name stuck. From that element came a family of technical terms. "Oxide" comes from the French "oxyde," and "oxidise" means to combine with oxygen. Adding the prefix "de-," which signals removal or reversal, gives a verb meaning to strip oxygen away, and the suffix "-er" names the agent that does it. The term is a plain English formation, and its interesting core is the acid-making error built into its root.

Synonyms: reducing agent, antioxidant

Antonyms: oxidizer, oxidant