Peroxiding

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of employing peroxide compounds in chemical reactions for oxidation purposes occurs in various scientific and industrial applications
2. Utilizing peroxide in reactions facilitates the transformation of substances through oxidation, commonly applied in both laboratory and commercial settings
3. Applying a peroxide chemical to a material or substance, often to bleach or disinfect it

Etymology: "Peroxiding" is the present participle and gerund of "peroxide," so it names the act of treating something with that chemical. The word is built from a prefix and a base: "per-," from Latin "per," meaning "through" or "thoroughly," and "oxide." "Oxide" goes back to the Greek "oxys," meaning "sharp" or "acid," which was combined with "genos," meaning "kind" or "type," to form the French "oxygène," the source of the modern chemical term. The prefix marks a compound with more oxygen than a plain oxide contains, which is why these substances are used so readily as bleaches and disinfectants.

Synonyms: oxidizing, bleaching, decolorizing, disinfecting, sterilizing

Antonyms: reducing, deoxidizing, restoring, preserving, maintaining