Definition of Catalyst

1. Noun. (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.

Exact synonyms: Accelerator
Category relationships: Chemical Science, Chemistry
Generic synonyms: Activator
Specialized synonyms: Biocatalyst, Enzyme, Platinum Black
Antonyms: Anticatalyst
Derivative terms: Catalyze

2. Noun. Something that causes an important event to happen. "The invasion acted as a catalyst to unite the country"
Generic synonyms: Causal Agency, Causal Agent, Cause

Definition of Catalyst

1. Noun. (chemistry) A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. ¹

2. Noun. Someone or something that encourages progress or change. ¹

3. Noun. (automotive) A catalytic converter. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Catalyst

1. a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction [n -S]

Medical Definition of Catalyst

1. A substance that accelerates a chemical reaction, but is not consumed or changed in the process. (16 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Catalyst

cataloreactant
catalos
catalpa
catalpas
catalufa
catalymetric
catalysation
catalyse
catalysed
catalyser
catalysers
catalyses
catalysing
catalysis
catalysize
catalyst (current term)
catalysts
catalytic
catalytic activity
catalytic agent
catalytic antibody
catalytic centre
catalytic converter
catalytic converters
catalytic cracker
catalytic model
catalytic reformer
catalytic site
catalytically
catalyzation

Literary usage of Catalyst

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Dictionary of Applied Chemistry by Thomas Edward Thorpe (1912)
"Many theories have been advanced as to the way in which a catalyst exerts ... According to one vcry commonly accepted view, a catalyst is effective because ..."

2. Personal Cars and China =: Si Ren Jiao Che Yu Zhongguo by Zhongguo gong cheng yuan, National Research Council (U.S.) (2003)
"SOURCES: Data replotted from Sher (1998: Figure 6.4); catalyst ... Meanwhile, a promising new catalyst technology under development offers much the same ..."

3. A Dictionary of Applied Chemistry by Thomas Edward Thorpe (1921)
"The answer is that at .500" hydrogen and oxygen combine with appreciable rapidity in the absence of a catalyst, but that, in view of tho large temperature ..."

4. Science by American Association for the Advancement of Science (1883)
"For this purpose the catalyst was gradually warmed up to 350°C in a vacuum for 2 ... The hydrogen stream was discontinued while the catalyst temperature was ..."

5. Outlines of Theoretical Chemistry by Frederick Hutton Getman (1922)
"(3) Amount of catalyst Required. The amount of catalyst required to promote the ... In certain cases, the amount of catalyst is found to increase as the ..."

6. Catalysis and Its Industrial Applications by Edgar Jobling (1916)
"(c) Proportionality between Amount of catalyst and the Reaction Velocity.—As a rough generalisation, it may be stated that the activity of a catalyst is ..."

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