Paracyanamide

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A solid polymeric form of cyanamide formed when cyanamide molecules link together into a larger chemical structure
2. A chemical compound that is a polymer of cyanamide, produced when its simple molecules combine into a larger, more stable solid
3. The polymerized variety of cyanamide, a substance made of many cyanamide units joined together in a chain or ring

Etymology: Chemists mark a compound's multi-unit form with the prefix "para-", and this term applies that convention to cyanamide. "Para-" comes from Greek, where it meant "beside" or "beyond." Related chemical names such as paraformaldehyde and paraldehyde follow the same pattern, in which simple molecules link into larger, repeating structures. Cyanamide itself combines two older chemical elements of naming. "Cyan-" derives from the Greek "kyanos," meaning dark blue, reflecting the blue compounds in which the cyanide group was first identified. "Amide" comes from ammonia, the nitrogen compound that gives its name to a whole family of nitrogen-containing substances. Joined together, the parts describe a molecule with both a cyano group and an amide-type nitrogen.