molecular
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Pronunciation
- IPA: /məˈlɛk.jʊ.lə/ (UK); /məˈlɛk.jə.ləɹ/, /məˈlɛk.ju.ləɹ/ (US)[1]
Etymology
It is formed from molecule and -ar, or from French moléculaire or Modern Latin molecularis;[2] MWU treats it as an International Scientific Vocabulary formation.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Relating to or consisting of molecules: 1770 in MWU,[3] by 1815 in Etymonline, 1823 in the OED.[2][4]
Semantic evolution
Of a branch of science dealing with molecular phenomena it is from 1880,[4] and molecular biology is attested by 1950.[2] In logic and philosophy a molecular proposition, made of simpler ones, is from 1892,[4][5] and in psychology an elementary unit of behaviour from 1925.[4] Concerned with a basic level of a subject is from 1953.[4][6]
Timeline
- 1770 – first known use.[3]
- 1823 – in the OED.[4]
- 1880 – of a branch of science.[4]
- 1892 – in logic.[4]
- 1950 – molecular biology.[2]
Modern meaning
Adjective
- Of, relating to or made up of molecules.
- Of or relating to basic structure or form.
- (logic) Of a sentence or formula, able to be analysed into atomic ones.
Word family
- molecularity
- molecularly
- bimolecular
- equimolecular
- intermolecular
- intramolecular
- monomolecular
- multimolecular
Related words
- molecule
- mole
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin