chemical
/ˈkɛm.ɪ.kəl/ adjective, noun
Forms chemicals
- adjective Of or relating to chemistry. “chemical experiments”
- adjective Of or relating to a material or processes not commonly found in nature or in a particular product.
- adjective (obsolete) Of or relating to alchemy.
- noun (chemistry, sciences) Any specific chemical element or chemical compound or alloy. “Hydrogen and sulphur are both chemicals.”
- noun (colloquial) An artificial chemical compound. “I color my hair with henna, not chemicals.”
- noun (slang) An addictive drug.
Synonyms
Etymology
From New Latin chēmicus + -al.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Pertaining to chemistry; characterized or produced by the forces and operations of chemistry; employed in the processes of chemistry; as, chemical changes; chemical comnbinations. Chemical attraction or affinity. See under Attraction.
- noun A substance used for producing a chemical effect; a reagent.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “chemical”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details