Oxidizable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of undergoing a chemical reaction in which electrons are lost to an oxidizing agent, typically resulting in increased oxygen content or decreased hydrogen content
2. Able to participate in a chemical transformation where it loses electrons to an oxidizer, often leading to heightened levels of oxygen or reduced levels of hydrogen
3. This characteristic refers to the potential for a substance to engage in a reaction that involves electron loss to an oxidizing substance, generally increasing its oxygen or decreasing its hydrogen

Etymology: Oxidizable is a plain, modular formation: "oxidize" plus the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being acted on in a certain way. The real story lies in the first part. "Oxide" was formed in French, where "oxygène" was coined from Greek roots meaning "acid-former," since the element was once thought to be the source of acidity. The Greek "oxús" meant "sharp" or "acid," and the "-gène" element comes from "génos," meaning "birth" or "origin." The verb "oxidize" follows the same pattern, built from "oxide" and the suffix "-ize," which entered English through Middle French and Late Latin from the Greek "-izein." The "-able" in "oxidizable" comes from Latin "-abilis" by way of Old French, and it has been attached to English verbs for centuries. Put together, the word describes anything that can undergo oxidation, most commonly the familiar process of rusting or tarnishing. Its meaning follows directly from its parts, with no surprising shift along the way.

Synonyms: oxidisable