chemistry

[kem-uh-stree] /ˈkɛm ə stri/
noun, plural chemistries.
1.
the science that deals with the composition and properties of substances and various elementary forms of matter.
Compare element (def 2).
2.
chemical properties, reactions, phenomena, etc.:
the chemistry of carbon.
3.
the interaction of one personality with another:
The chemistry between him and his boss was all wrong.
4.
sympathetic understanding; rapport:
the astonishing chemistry between the actors.
5.
any or all of the elements that make up something:
the chemistry of love.
Origin
1590-1600; chemist + -ry; replacing chymistry, chimistry
Examples from the web for chemistry
  • On the other hand, it may be that a small window has been opened that looks on to an entirely new field: superatom chemistry.
  • Unscientific folk may be excused for concluding that among the natural sciences chemistry is the poor cousin.
  • In his view, when you dug deeply enough into the battery's physical chemistry, that chemistry did not explain how it worked.
  • It hardly comes as a surprise that she decided to switch from chemistry to the study of animal communication.
  • By contrast with the physics prize, the award for chemistry is positively precipitate.
  • Money never bothered him, for he had no ambitions outside chemistry.
  • About half of a typical lithium-ion battery is made of stuff that plays no direct part in the battery's chemistry.
  • Still others have a hybrid approach, part biotechnological and part traditional chemistry.
  • As school chemistry lessons show, metallic magnesium is highly reactive and stores a lot of energy.
  • The team found that the ancient organisms had a similar dietary chemistry to fungi known to feast on dead wood.
British Dictionary definitions for chemistry

chemistry

/ˈkɛmɪstrɪ/
noun (pl) -tries
1.
the branch of physical science concerned with the composition, properties, and reactions of substances See also inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry
2.
the composition, properties, and reactions of a particular substance
3.
the nature and effects of any complex phenomenon: the chemistry of humour
4.
(informal) a reaction, taken to be instinctual, between two persons
Word Origin
C17: from earlier chimistrie, from chimistchemist
Word Origin and History for chemistry
n.

c.1600, "alchemy," from chemist + -ry; also see chemical (adj.). The meaning "natural physical process" is 1640s, and the scientific study not so called until 1788. The figurative sense of "instinctual attraction or affinity" is attested slightly earlier, from the alchemical sense.

chemistry in Medicine

chemistry chem·is·try (kěm'ĭ-strē)
n.
Abbr. chem.

  1. The science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems.

  2. The composition, structure, properties, and reactions of a substance.

chemistry in Science
chemistry
  (kěm'ĭ-strē)   

  1. The scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of the chemical elements and the compounds they form.

  2. The composition, structure, properties, and reactions of a substance.


chemistry in Culture

chemistry definition


The study of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter, particularly at the level of atoms and molecules.

Slang definitions & phrases for chemistry

chemistry

noun

Feelings between persons; attractions and repulsions, but mainly attractions: Miss McElderry feels the unusual chemistry between her and Mr Pfeiffer has been beneficial/ He also struck up what one aide calls ''instant chemistry'' with US Secretary of State George Shultz