Thermolyses

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The process of breaking down compounds using thermal energy in a chemical reaction
2. A chemical reaction that involves the decomposition of substances when exposed to high temperatures
3. The disintegration or alteration of chemical compounds caused by heat exposure in a controlled manner

Etymology: "Thermolyses" is simply the plural of "thermolysis," a noun built from two Greek elements. The first, "thermo-," comes from Ancient Greek "thermós," meaning "hot," which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root for heat. The second, "-lysis," comes from "lúsis," a noun formed from the verb "lúein," meaning "to loosen" or "to loose," which is also the source of the English word "analysis" in its sense of breaking something down into parts. Put together, the literal sense is "a loosening by heat," and the term describes the chemical process in which heat alone breaks a compound into simpler substances. The word is a modern technical coinage built from classical roots, so it is a scientific term rather than an ancient one.