binary compound
1
4.9
- noun
- /ˈbaɪnəri kəmˈpaʊnd/
- Specialized
:
compuesto binario
- Sodium chloride is a common binary compound formed from sodium and chlorine.
Examples
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Water is an example of a binary compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
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Starting with seminal work by Bernd Matthias and his coworkers, it was found that magnetic impurities strongly suppress superconductivity in pure elements and binary compounds.
Academic text (1998) -
Carbon dioxide is classified as a binary compound because it contains only two elements: carbon and oxygen.
How Complex
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from its parts: 'binary' denotes 'two' and 'compound' denotes a substance made from elements, so 'binary compound' transparently means a compound made of two different elements. This compositional pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Binary compound comes from two simple words: binary meaning 'two' and compound meaning 'things joined together'. Scientists use that picture to name a chemical made from exactly two different elements, so the term means a substance made of only two kinds of atoms.