Dimerized

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Formed into a dimer, a molecule made of two identical or similar smaller units bonded together
2. Having combined into a pair of linked molecular units that act as a single larger structure
3. Bonded in pairs so that two monomer units join to create a larger chemical compound

Etymology: "Dimerized" is the past tense of "dimerize," meaning to join into pairs. The stem is "dimer," built from Greek roots: "di-" meaning two, and "meros," a part, so a dimer is a molecule made of two identical units. Chemists formed "dimer" from these Greek elements, and "dimerize" adds the English suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make or become something. The suffix has a longer ancestry. It came into English through Middle French "-iser" and Late Latin "-izare," which were themselves borrowed from Ancient Greek "-izein," used to form verbs such as "baptizein" and "organizein." Like many such suffixes, it was a tool for making new verbs from almost any noun, which is why chemists could reach for it when they needed a term for the process of pairing molecules.

Antonyms: dissociate