un·sat·u·rat·ed

[uhn-sach-uh-rey-tid]
adjective
1.
not saturated; having the power to dissolve still more of a substance.
2.
Chemistry. (of an organic compound) having a double or triple bond and capable of taking on elements or groups by direct chemical combination without the liberation of other elements or compounds, as ethylene, CH 2 =CH 2 ; undersaturated.
Origin:
1750–60; un-1 + saturated

Related forms
un·sat·u·rate [uhn-sach-er-it, -uh-reyt] , noun
un·sat·u·ra·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
unsaturated (ʌnˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  not saturated
2.  (of a chemical compound, esp an organic compound) containing one or more double or triple bonds and thus capable of undergoing addition reactions
3.  (of a fat, esp a vegetable fat) containing a high proportion of fatty acids having double bonds
4.  (of a solution) containing less solute than a saturated solution
 
unsatu'ration
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Unsaturated is always a great word to know.
So is oxidation. Does it mean:
a compound capable of changing state or becoming inactive when subjected to heat or radiation
the process or result of a chemical reaction to oxygen, or the deposit that forms on the surface of a metal as it oxidizes
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

unsaturated
1758, from un- (1) "not" + pp. of saturate.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

unsaturated un·sat·u·rat·ed (ŭn-sāch'ə-rā'tĭd)
adj.

  1. Of or relating to a solution in which the solvent is capable of dissolving still more of the solute; not saturated.

  2. Of or relating to a chemical compound in which all the affinities are not satisfied, so that still other atoms or radicals may be added to it.

  3. Of or relating to chemical compounds containing double and triple bonds.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
unsaturated   (ŭn-sāch'ə-rā'tĭd)  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

  1. Relating to an organic compound in which two or more of the carbon atoms are joined by a double or triple bond and therefore can be combined with additional atoms or radicals. Benzene and acetylene are examples of unsaturated compounds. Compare saturated.See also monounsaturated, polyunsaturated.

  2. Relating to a solution that is capable of dissolving more solute than it already contains.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
They avoid all animal fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils, and go for those vegetable oils which are mainly mono-unsaturated.
These carbons tend to then pair off with one another, forming what are known as
  unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Consumers watching their fat intake generally avoid saturated fats and instead
  choose unsaturated fats.
And earlier studies in rats indicated that unsaturated fatty acids in fish may
  affect leptin levels.
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