undersaturated

American

[uhn-der-sach-uh-rey-tid] / ˌʌn dərˈsætʃ əˌreɪ tɪd /

adjective

Chemistry.

unsaturated.

undersaturated British

/ ˌʌndəˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd /

adjective

(of an igneous rock) having a low silica content

"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

Other Word Forms

undersaturation noun

Etymology

Origin of undersaturated

First recorded in 1820–30; under- + saturated

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Waldbusser and colleagues have found that in waters undersaturated with carbonate, the larvae of bivalves such as clams and oysters have trouble starting their shells, which form more slowly or turn out misshapen.

From Nature • Oct. 10, 2017

Legendary, the new film, is an entry in the strangely undersaturated small-town high-school wrestling family action-drama genre.

From The Guardian • Sep. 2, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023