acceptor

American  

[ak-sep-ter] / ækˈsɛp tər /

noun

1. accepter.

2. Finance. a person who accepts a draft or bill of exchange, especially the drawee who signs the draft or bill, confirming a willingness to pay it when due.

3. Also called acceptor atom,.  Also called acceptor impurity.  Physics. an atom of impurity in a semiconducting crystal such that the atom can capture an electron, creating a hole in a filled electron shell and thereby changing the electric conductivity of the crystal.

4. Chemistry. an atom, ion, group of atoms, or compound that combines with, or accepts, another entity, thereby profoundly affecting physical and chemical properties.

   electron acceptor;

   water acceptor.

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acceptor British  

/ əkˈsɛptə /

noun

1. commerce the person or organization on which a draft or bill of exchange is drawn after liability has been accepted, usually by signature

2. Also called: acceptor impurity.  electronics an impurity, such as gallium, added to a semiconductor material to increase its p-type conductivity by increasing the number of holes in the semiconductor Compare donor

3. electronics a circuit tuned to accept a particular frequency

4. chem the atom or group that accepts electrons in a coordinate bond

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acceptor Scientific  

/ ăk-sĕp′tər /

1. The reactant in an induced chemical reaction that has an increased rate of reaction in the presence of the inductor.

2. An atom or molecule that receives one or more electrons from another atom or molecule, resulting in a chemical bond or flow of electric current.

3. Compare donor See also electron carrier

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Etymology

Origin of acceptor

1350–1400; Middle English, in phrase acceptour of persones; accept + -or ², or (< Anglo-French acceptour ) < Latin acceptor, equivalent to accep-, variant stem of accipere to receive, get ( accept ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

Once the electron reaches the acceptor molecule, it sets off a new coherent vibration.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

Prosecutors meanwhile requested a six to seven-month sentence, saying Iswaran was "more than a passive acceptor of gifts".

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2024

"Continued study of respiratory electron acceptor usage may thus provide an important avenue for informing our understanding of the functional capacity and metabolic output of the gut microbiome."

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2024

A classic example of this process uses glucose as a donor and oxygen as the acceptor.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2024

Bills drawn against goods coming to England are safe enough, for as long as the goods come to port and can be sold for them, the acceptor is sure of his money.

From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Phillips, Chester Arthur

Related Words

• adherent
• devotee
• disciple
• follower
• supporter
• zealot