molecule

B1 Topic:Chemistry

US /ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/ UK /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/ See IPA manual

Freq #18594

Meanings

1

noun
The smallest unit of a substance that still has all its chemical properties, made of two or more atoms joined together.

A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms molecules

Derived forms antimoleculeastromoleculebimoleculebiomoleculeglycomoleculeimmunomoleculemetamoleculemicromoleculemolfilenanomoleculephytomoleculepolycule

Related forms molecular

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

protein molecule
a large molecule formed from chains of linked amino acids

Noun + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from French molécule, from New Latin molecula (“a molecule”), diminutive of Latin moles (“a mass”).

molecula la-new moles Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Chemistry Science & Research

External links

# molecule

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/
**Frequency rank:** 18594

## Meanings
1. The smallest unit of a substance that still has all its chemical properties, made of two or more atoms joined together.

## Examples
- A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

## Derived Forms
- antimolecule
- astromolecule
- bimolecule
- biomolecule
- glycomolecule
- immunomolecule
- metamolecule
- micromolecule
- molfile
- nanomolecule
- phytomolecule
- polycule

## Related Forms
- molecular

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: molecula
- Root: moles

## Etymology
Borrowed from French molécule, from New Latin molecula (“a molecule”), diminutive of Latin moles (“a mass”).

## AI Etymology
Molecule was borrowed from French molécule, from New Latin molecula (“a molecule”), diminutive of Latin moles (“a mass”). In present-day English it covers the smallest unit of a substance that still has all its chemical properties, made of two or more atoms joined together. The historical chain runs through molecula (la-new) and moles (Latin). Related and derived forms include molecular, antimolecule, astromolecule, and bimolecule.

## Topics
- Chemistry
- Science & Research

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