Chiral Meaning
/ˈkaɪɹəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjthat exhibits chirality; as in the left-handed and right-handed versions of a helix, or a molecule with L- and D- stereoisomers.
Sentence Examples
The chiral molecule has a unique structure.
Chiral compounds are used in medicine.
Chemists studied the chiral molecules to understand their reactions.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In chemistry, a ____ molecule is one that cannot be superimposed.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰes- Proto-Indo-European *-ōr Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰésōr Proto-Hellenic *kʰéhər Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír) Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English chiral From Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír, “hand”) + English -al.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In the close vicinity of a chiral nanostructure, the circular dichroism of a biomolecule could be greatly enhanced, due to the interaction with the local superchiral fields."
— 2016, S. Hamed Shams Mousavi, Sajanlal R. Panikkanvalappil, Mostafa A. El-Sayed, Ali A. Eftekhar, Ali Adibi, “Large Enhancement of Circular Dichroism Using an Embossed Chiral Metamaterial”, in arXiv:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In chemistry, a ____ molecule is one that cannot be superimposed.