inorganic

inorganic (ˌɪnɔːˈɡænɪk)

—*adj*
1.	not having the structure or characteristics of living organisms; not organic
2.	Compare organic relating to or denoting chemical compounds that do not contain carbon
3.	not having a system, structure, or ordered relation of parts; amorphous
4.	not resulting from or produced by growth; artificial
5.	linguistics denoting or relating to a sound or letter introduced into the pronunciation or spelling of a word at some point in its history

inor'ganically

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

inorganic in·or·gan·ic (ĭn'ôr-gān'ĭk)
n.

Not formed by or involving organic life or the products of organic life.
Not composed of organic matter.
Of or relating to compounds not containing carbon to hydrogen bonds

in'or·gan'i·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

inorganic

(ĭn'ôr-gān'ĭk) Pronunciation Key

Not involving organisms or the products of their life processes.
Relating to chemical compounds that occur mainly outside of living or once living organisms, such as those in rocks, minerals, and ceramics. Most inorganic compounds lack carbon, such as salt (NaCl) and ammonia (NH₃); a few, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), do contain it, but never attached to hydrogen atoms as in hydrocarbons. Inorganic molecules tend to have a relatively small number of atoms as compared with organic molecules.

Example sentences

The various contaminations to which water is liable may all be arranged under two heads: they are either organic or inorganic.

Integrated organic and inorganic fertilization is needed to increase the yield of crops.

It really would be a surprise if organic semiconductors were to behave in exactly the same way as inorganic ones.

They can be made of a single material or a mixture of several materials, and

they can be of organic or inorganic composition.

Use Dictionary.com faster without ads >>

chemotroph cofactor disulfide electrolyte grow holophytic

Matching Quote

"The season developed and matured. Another year's installment of flowers, leaves, nightingales, thrushes, finches, and such ephemeral creatures, took up their positions where only a year ago others had stood in their place when these were nothing more than germs and inorganic particles. Rays from the sunrise drew forth the buds and stretched them into long stalks, lifted up sap in noiseless streams, opened petals, and sucked out scents in invisible jets and breathings."

-Thomas Hardy