Dimerize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Combining two identical molecules to form a single larger paired molecule called a dimer
2. Causing two like molecular units to bond together so that they form a dimer structure
3. Linking a pair of identical monomers chemically to produce a dimer compound

Etymology: "Dimerize" is a plain chemistry coinage: it is built from "dimer" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize," and it means to join two identical molecules into one paired molecule. The "dimer" part comes from Greek "dis," meaning "twice" or "two," combined with "meros," meaning "part," so a dimer is literally a two-part molecule. The suffix has a longer road behind it. The "-ize" ending traces back through Ancient Greek "-izein," which turned nouns and adjectives into verbs meaning "to make into" or "to act in the manner of." Greek passed it to Latin as "-izare," and it reached English through French, where it became "-iser," and then through Middle English in the form "-isen." Its spelling was later standardized as "-ize" in English, which is why the ending looks so different from the French "-iser" it came through.