oxide

Also ox·id

[ok-sahyd, -sid]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a compound in which oxygen is bonded to one or more electropositive atoms.

oxide

/ ˈɒksaɪd /

noun

1. any compound of oxygen with another element

2. any organic compound in which an oxygen atom is bound to two alkyl or aryl groups; an ether or epoxide

oxide

1. A compound of oxygen and another element or radical. Water (H ₂ O) is an oxide.

Other Word Forms

• oxidic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oxide¹

First recorded in 1780–90; from French (now oxyde ), blend of ox(ygène) oxygen and (ac)ide acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of oxide¹

C18: from French, from ox ( ygène ) + ( ac ) ide; see _oxygen , _acid

Example Sentences

Nitrous oxide is used as an anaesthetic in dentistry and medicine.

From BBC

In March, Viridor realised that its monitoring software was incorrectly calibrated and that a reassessment revealed it had been breached daily pollution limits for nitrogen oxides regularly between August 2022 and March 2024.

From BBC

Higher autism severity scores and weaker daily living skills were also linked with ethylene oxide.

From Salon

The rule from which they are seeking relief applies to a chemical known as ethylene oxide, or EtO, which is commonly used to sterilize medical devices that can’t be cleaned using steam or radiation.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s because one of the most common methods of producing it involves heating methane to release the hydrogen, which can also release nitrogen oxides and other pollutants in the process.

From Los Angeles Times