oxidize

• oxidise (UK)
• oxydize (obsolete)

oxide +‎ -ize

• IPA^(key): /ˈɒksɪdaɪz/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

oxidize (third-person singular simple present oxidizes, present participle oxidizing, simple past and past participle oxidized)

1. (chemistry, transitive) To combine with oxygen or otherwise make an oxide.
   • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:

     Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: […] . The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.

2. (chemistry) To increase the valence (or the positive charge) of an element by removing electrons.
3. To coat something with an oxide.
4. (intransitive) To become oxidized.

• oxidizable
• oxidization

• corrode
• rust