chelate

American  

[kee-leyt] / ˈki leɪt /

adjective

1. Chemistry.

   1. of or noting a heterocyclic compound having a central metallic ion attached by covalent bonds to two or more nonmetallic atoms in the same molecule.

   2. of or noting a compound having a cyclic structure resulting from the formation of one or more hydrogen bonds in the same molecule.

2. Zoology. having a chela or chelae.

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noun

1. Chemistry. a chelate compound.

verb (used without object)

Chemistry.

chelated, chelating

1. (of a heterocyclic compound) to react to form a chelate.

2. (of a compound) to form a ring by forming one or more hydrogen bonds.

verb (used with object)

chelated, chelating

1. Chemistry. to combine (an organic compound) with a metallic ion to form a chelate.

chelate British  

/ ˈkiːleɪt /

noun

1. chem a coordination compound in which a metal atom or ion is bound to a ligand at two or more points on the ligand, so as to form a heterocyclic ring containing a metal atom

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adjective

1. zoology of or possessing chelae

2. chem of or denoting a chelate

verb

1. (intr) chem to form a chelate

chelate Scientific  

/ kē′lāt′ /

1. A chemical compound in the form of a ring that contains a metal ion attached by coordinate bonds to at least two nonmetal ions. Many commercial dyes as well as important biological substances, such as chlorophyll and the heme of hemoglobin, are chelates.

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Other Word Forms

• chelatable adjective

Etymology

Origin of chelate

First recorded in 1820–30; chel(a) ¹ + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

For example, it may be possible to chelate magnesium ions from bacterial environments, which should selectively inhibit resistant strains without impacting the wild type bacteria that may be beneficial to our health.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2024

Many polydentate ligands are chelating ligands, and a complex consisting of one or more of these ligands and a central metal is a chelate.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Figure 19.15 showed one example of a chelate.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Appendages of the 1st pair bisegmented completely chelate, furnished with peculiar organs, the serrula and the lamina.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various

They have long, slender, many-jointed legs; usually a rounded, segmented abdomen; and chelate jaws.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section P and Q by Project Gutenberg