heterocyclic
of or relating to the branch of chemistry dealing with cyclic compounds in which at least one of the ring members is not a carbon atom (contrasted with homocyclic).
noting such compounds, as ethylene oxide, C2H4O.
Origin of heterocyclic
1Other words from heterocyclic
- het·er·o·cy·cle [het-er-uh-sahy-kuhl], /ˈhɛt ər əˌsaɪ kəl/, noun
Words Nearby heterocyclic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use heterocyclic in a sentence
Carbocyclic rings will next be treated, benzene and its allies in some detail; and finally the heterocyclic nuclei.
British Dictionary definitions for heterocyclic
/ (ˌhɛtərəʊˈsaɪklɪk, -ˈsɪk-) /
(of an organic compound) containing a closed ring of atoms, at least one of which is not a carbon atom: Compare homocyclic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for heterocyclic
[ hĕt′ə-rō-sī′klĭk, -sĭk′lĭk ]
Of or relating to a compound containing a closed ring structure made of more than one kind of atom. Pyridine (C5H5N), for example, is a heterocyclic compound, as its ring contains five carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom. Compare homocyclic.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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