noun
radical
A group of atoms treated as a unit in a compound.
The older textbook treats the sulfate radical as a unit.
Etymology
The Latin ancestor means of a root. Older chemical terminology treated a recurring atom group as a basic constituent or root shared by related compounds.
More examples
- The formula groups the atoms into an acid radical.
- In this older usage, radical refers to a group carried through several reactions.
- The exercise asks students to identify the unchanged radical.
Forms
radical · radicals
Similar words
- group
- The more usual broad term for linked atoms in this older chemical use.