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racemic

[ rey-see-mik, -sem-ik, ruh- ]

adjective

, Chemistry.
  1. noting or pertaining to any of various organic compounds in which racemism occurs.


racemic

/ rəˈsiːmɪzəm; rəˈsiːmɪk; -ˈsɛm-; ˈræsɪˌmɪzəm /

adjective

  1. chem of, concerned with, or being a mixture of equal amounts of enantiomers and consequently having no optical activity
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


racemic

/ rə-sēmĭk /

  1. Relating to a chemical compound that contains equal quantities of the dextrorotatory and levorotatory forms of the compound and therefore does not rotate the plane of incident polarized light.
  2. Relating to or consisting of racemes.


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Derived Forms

  • racemism, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of racemic1

1830–40; < French racémique < Latin racēm ( us ) raceme + French -ique -ic
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Word History and Origins

Origin of racemic1

C19: from raceme (as in racemic acid ) + -ic
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Example Sentences

He discovered that racemic acid crystals could be sorted into two asymmetric mirror-image shapes, like pairs of right-handed and left-handed gloves.

Racemic acid is rather less soluble than tartaric, and separates first from a solution containing the two acids.

A solution of racemic acid precipitates a neutral salt of calcium, which is not the case with tartaric acid.

Examination of liquors from which racemic acid has been deposited has always shown them to contain much inactive tartaric acid.

This theory does not exclude the probability that certain vines under particular conditions produce racemic acid.

In the one case, therefore, the racemic compound has a higher, in the other a lower melting point than the active forms.

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race meetingracemic acid