Trihydric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a compound or molecule containing three hydrogen atoms or three hydroxyl groups; relating to substances with three potential acidic hydrogens; indicating a chemical species with three hydrogen sites available for reaction
2. Pertaining to any chemical entity that comprises three hydrogen atoms or three hydroxyl functional groups; applicable to acids that can release three protons; characterizing molecules with triple hydrogen content or reactivity
3. Referring to a structure involving three hydrogen units or three hydroxyl groups; associated with triprotic acids capable of donating three hydrogens; denoting compounds featuring three hydrogens in their composition or activity

Etymology: "Trihydric" is a plain chemical coinage built from two parts: "tri-", from Latin "tres" and Greek "treis" meaning "three", and "hydric", the adjective form of "hydrogen" or "hydroxyl". The "hydr-" element comes from Greek "hydōr", meaning "water", a reference to hydrogen's role in forming water when burned. Chemists needed a systematic vocabulary to describe molecules by counting their reactive sites, and "hydric" was adopted for compounds bearing hydrogen or hydroxyl groups, so attaching "tri-" gave a precise count. The word is used mainly in organic chemistry, where it describes alcohols and phenols that carry three hydroxyl groups, such as glycerol, the classic example of a trihydric alcohol. Because each hydroxyl can react, a trihydric compound can form three bonds, which explains why such molecules are useful in building polymers and resins.

Synonyms: trivalent, triol, three-hydroxyl

Antonyms: monohydric, dihydric