Fluorinates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To incorporate fluorine into a chemical compound, resulting in altered physical and chemical characteristics
2. This action involves altering a molecule by the addition of fluorine, impacting its behavior in reactions
3. Incorporates fluorine atoms into a molecule to modify its chemical properties

Etymology: Fluorine was named in 1812 by André-Marie Ampère, who proposed the name from the mineral fluorite, a source of the element, and from "fluor," the Latin word for "flow," because the mineral was used as a flux that helped metals and ores melt. The element itself was not isolated until 1886, when Henri Moissan succeeded in producing it, so the name arrived decades before anyone had the substance in hand. This verb is simple to build: it combines "fluorine" with "-ate," the suffix used in chemistry for forming verbs. "Fluorine" in turn ends in "-ine," an element-naming ending, and the "-ate" ending passes into English through Old French and Latin. Chemists use the verb to describe adding fluorine atoms to a molecule, a change that can alter how the molecule behaves, which is why the technique is common in pharmaceutical work.

Synonyms: fluoridates, treats with fluorine, adds fluorine, fluoridize, injects fluorine