Deprotect

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Strips away the protecting group that was attached to a reactive site on a molecule so the site becomes available again
2. Removes a chemical shield from a functional group, restoring its reactivity during a multistep synthesis
3. Takes off the temporary guard group that had been placed on a molecule, exposing the underlying reactive part once more

Etymology: "Deprotect" is a plain formation: the prefix "de-" attached to "protect," meaning to remove protection from something. The prefix comes from Latin "de," meaning "from" or "away," which is the same source that gives English "de-" its reversing or removing sense in words such as "decode" and "defrost." "Protect" itself reaches English from the Latin "protegere," meaning "to cover in front," so "deprotect" effectively undoes that covering. The word is most often used in technical settings, such as computing and security, where a file, page, or setting that was guarded against change or access is made open again. It is formed on the same pattern as "unprotect," and the two are close synonyms.

Synonyms: unprotect

Antonyms: protect