Multihydric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a chemical compound containing several hydroxyl groups capable of forming multiple hydrogen bonds and characterized by having more than one alcohol functional group
2. Pertaining to molecules that feature numerous hydroxyl groups attached to carbon atoms, allowing for complex hydrogen bonding and classification as polyhydric alcohols
3. Referring to substances with multiple hydroxyl (-OH) sites within their structure that contribute to diverse chemical reactivity and solubility properties typical of multi-alcohol compounds

Etymology: Multihydric is a technical coinage built from familiar chemistry parts rather than an ancient or folk word. "Multi-" comes from the Latin "multus" meaning "many," and "-hydric" comes from "hydroxyl," the OH group that gives alcohols their characteristic behavior. The "-hydric" element is a chemistry-era formation, so the term belongs to the modern scientific vocabulary rather than to any older stock of English words. The base form "monohydric" (one hydroxyl group) and its companions "dihydric" and "trihydric" were built on the same pattern to classify alcohols by how many hydroxyl groups they carry. Ethanol is monohydric, ethylene glycol is dihydric, and glycerol is trihydric. "Multihydric" serves as the general catch-all for molecules with more than one such group, and it is the everyday label for sugars, sugar alcohols and polyols.

Synonyms: polyhydric, multivalent, multiple hydroxyl