Dibrominate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To add two bromine atoms to a chemical compound through a reaction with bromine or a brominating agent
2. To treat a substance with bromine in order to substitute or add two bromine atoms to its molecular structure
3. To chemically modify a molecule by bonding two bromine atoms to it in a bromination process

Etymology: "Bromine" takes its name from the Greek "brômos," meaning "stench," a fitting label for a dark red liquid with a sharp, unpleasant smell. Chemists gave the element that name because of its odour, and later built a family of chemical terms on it. "Dibrominate" is a technical coinage made from three parts. The prefix "di-" comes from the Greek "dis," meaning "twice" or "two," and signals two bromine atoms. The "-ate" ending comes from the Latin "-atus," which English adopted to form verbs from nouns, so the verb means to treat something with, or add, bromine. Chemists use it in the sense of replacing hydrogen atoms in a molecule with two bromine atoms.