rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -ic
English

-ic

connected with or characteristic of

Forms

  • -ic

Origin

Through French and Latin -icus from Greek -ikos.

Note

It can indicate a field, a material, a resemblance, or a tendency; it has no single literal meaning in every word.

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adjective

aromatic

Having a molecular ring stabilized by electrons shared around it

Benzene contains an aromatic ring.

Etymology
aromatGreekspice; fragrant substance
+icEnglishconnected with or characteristic of

The root names a spice or fragrant substance. Chemists first associated this class with fragrant compounds; the technical meaning now depends on molecular structure, not on whether a substance smells.

More examples

  • The chemist identified an aromatic compound.
  • The model illustrates the aromatic system’s shared electrons.
  • The lecture distinguished aromatic and nonaromatic structures.

Forms

aromatic

Similar words

cyclic
Cyclic means containing a ring; aromatic describes a particular stable electron arrangement in a ring system.
aliphatic
Aliphatic compounds lack an aromatic ring system, although some may still contain rings.