chiral

[ kahy-ruhl ]

adjectiveChemistry.
  1. (of a molecule) not superimposable on its mirror image.

Origin of chiral

1
1894; chir-<Greek cheír hand + -al1; coined by Lord Kelvin

Other words from chiral

  • chi·ral·i·ty [kahy-ral-i-tee], /kaɪˈræl ɪ ti/, noun

Words Nearby chiral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use chiral in a sentence