noun
molecule
MOL-ih-kyool
noun
1
The smallest unit of a substance that keeps all its chemical properties, made of two or more atoms bonded together.
"A water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom."
"Scientists studied how the molecule reacted with light."
How to Use Molecule
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe smallest building block of a chemical substance, formed from atoms bonded together.
Common pairings
water molecule
DNA molecule
protein molecule
Word Forms
molecules plural, moleculae plural, moleculæ plural
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A water _____ contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
Etymology
Borrowed from French molécule, from New Latin molecula, a diminutive of Latin moles, "a mass."