Iodates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of compounds formed by the reaction of iodine with an alkali metal or ammonium salt, containing the iodate ion
2. Chemical salts that contain iodine, typically formed by the oxidation of iodide ions in basic conditions, and used in various applications
3. Inorganic substances where iodine is in a valence state higher than in iodides, often resulting in beneficial uses in certain chemical processes

Etymology: Iodates are salts of iodic acid, and the name is a chain of coinages built on a Greek word for violet. "Iodine" was named in the early 1800s from Ancient Greek "ion" (violet), with "-ōdēs" meaning "like" attached, because the element's vapour turns a striking violet colour when heated. The Greek root traces back to a word for violet, which the source connects to a pre-Greek source, so the colour gave the element its name long before anyone understood chemistry. Chemists then built the rest of the family from that name. "Iodic" comes from iodine with the chemical suffix "-ic", marking an acid of iodine, and "-ate" was added to form the names of salts derived from such an acid. The "-ate" ending itself descends from a Latin suffix that English adopted to name the salts of oxygen acids. The plural "iodates" is simply the plural of "iodate", so each compound in the family shares that same chain of naming.