OXYGEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does oxygen mean? 

• OXYGEN (noun)
  The noun OXYGEN has 1 sense:

1. a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

  Familiarity information: OXYGEN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OXYGEN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 8; O; oxygen

Hypernyms ("oxygen" is a kind of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

gas (a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "oxygen"):

liquid oxygen; LOX (a bluish translucent magnetic liquid obtained by compressing gaseous oxygen and then cooling it below its boiling point; used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants)

Holonyms ("oxygen" is a substance of...):

air (a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of)

H2O; water (binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent)

ozone (a colorless gas (O3) soluble in alkalis and cold water; a strong oxidizing agent; can be produced by electric discharge in oxygen or by the action of ultraviolet radiation on oxygen in the stratosphere (where it acts as a screen for ultraviolet radiation))

Derivation:

oxygenate; oxygenize (impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen)

oxygenize (dehydrogenate with oxygen)

 Context examples 

In biochemistry, reactions that need oxygen to happen or happen when oxygen is present.

(Aerobic, NCI Dictionary)

For example, the molecular weight of water, which has two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, is 18 (i.e., 2 + 16).

(Molecular weight, NCI Dictionary)

Any rod shaped bacteria that does not require oxygen to grow or respirate and has a cell wall that contains low levels of peptidoglycan and stains pink with the Gram staining technique.

(Anaerobic Gram Negative Bacillus, NCI Thesaurus)

A small amount of methemoglobin is present in the blood normally, but injury or toxic agents convert a larger proportion of hemoglobin into methemoglobin, which does not function reversibly as an oxygen carrier.

(Methemoglobinemia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen.

(Methemoglobinemia, NCI Dictionary)

Oxygen in the lungs passes through the alveoli into the blood.

(Alveoli, NCI Dictionary)

For example, the molecular mass of water, which has two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, is 18 (i.e., 2 + 16).

(Molecular mass, NCI Dictionary)

Any rod shaped bacteria with an oxygen based metabolism and has a peptidoglycan rich cell wall that stains dark purple with the Gram staining technique.

(Aerobic Gram Positive Bacillus, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role as an oxygen sensor in cell differentiation and signal transduction.

(NADPH Oxidase 4, NCI Thesaurus)

Any spherical shaped bacteria with an oxygen based metabolism and a peptidoglycan rich cell wall that stains dark purple with the Gram staining technique.

(Aerobic Gram Positive Coccus, NCI Thesaurus)