Radical (Noun)
Meaning 1
An atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule that has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule; "in the body free radicals are high-energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells".
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The human body produces free radicals as a byproduct of normal metabolic processes, which can lead to cell damage over time.
- High levels of free radicals in the body can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
- The antioxidant properties of vitamin C help neutralize free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress.
- When a free radical steals an electron from a nearby molecule, it can start a chain reaction of reactive molecules that damage healthy cells.
- Exposure to environmental stressors such as pollution and UV radiation can generate free radicals in the skin, leading to premature aging.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
(mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The expression under the square root symbol is called the radical, which represents the square root of a given number.
- Simplifying a radical expression often involves factoring the number under the radical into prime factors.
- A cube root can also be represented using the radical symbol, but with a superscript indicating the power of the root.
- To solve this problem, you'll need to know how to work with rational and radical expressions, as well as fractions and equations.
- Some people struggle with expressions containing a variable inside the radical, so we'll start by covering those concepts carefully.
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
A person who has radical ideas or opinions.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The young artist was considered a radical for her provocative paintings that challenged societal norms.
- As a radical, he advocated for the complete overhaul of the existing economic system.
- Her radical views on education led her to start a free school in her community.
- The politician's radical proposals for healthcare reform sparked intense debate among her opponents.
- The philosopher's radical ideas about the nature of reality influenced a generation of thinkers.
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 4
A character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The ancient hieroglyph depicted a radical symbolizing a stylized image of the sun.
- The radical for "tree" in Chinese characters consists of a horizontal stroke and two vertical lines.
- The etymology of the word can be traced back to its original radical, a pictograph representing a hand.
- In logographic systems, a radical often provides the core meaning of a character, with additional strokes adding nuances.
- The radical for "water" in Japanese kanji consists of a wavy line and two horizontal strokes.
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
(chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The methyl radical is a highly reactive species that plays a key role in many organic reactions.
- The radical was stabilized by the presence of a nearby double bond, which helped to distribute the unpaired electron.
- In the reaction, the chlorine radical abstracted a hydrogen atom from the methane molecule, forming a new compound.
- The free radical was formed when the molecule was exposed to high-energy radiation, causing a bond to break.
- The antioxidant was able to neutralize the harmful effects of the radical by donating an electron to stabilize it.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
- Azo Group
- Methylene
- Benzyl
- Azido Group
- Carboxyl
- Nitro Group
- Vinyl Radical
- Cyanide Group
- Cyanide Radical
- Propyl Radical
- Cacodyl Radical
- Acyl
- Propyl
- Nitrite
- Benzyl Radical
- Hydroxyl
- Arsenic Group
- Butyl
- Alkyl Radical
- Allyl Radical
- Chromophore
- Cacodyl
- Methylene Group
- Benzoyl Group
- Ketone Group
- Alkyl
- Amino
- Uranyl Radical
- Vinyl
- Alcohol Group
- Carbonyl Group
- Allyl
- Amyl
- Cyano Group
- Glyceryl
- Aldehyde Group
- Hydroxyl Radical
- Uranyl
- Hydrazo Group
Meaning 6
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The linguist examined the radicals of several related verbs in the ancient language to identify patterns of sound shift.
- In decomposition exercises, students are taught to extract the radical from unfamiliar words to aid in determining their meaning.
- By comparing the radicals of loanwords in different languages, researchers can infer the phonological and phonetic characteristics of the source language.
- A linguist studying the etymology of a word family must identify the common radical that connects the words.
- Understanding the base radical of a verb is essential for conjugating it correctly in a highly inflected language.