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nucleator

nucleator

9.4
A substance that makes crystals start to form
  • noun
  • /ˈnjuːklieɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nucleador
  • In the laboratory, scientists studied how various substances act as nucleators to promote crystal growth.

Examples

  • The presence of biological ice nucleators is essential for the precipitation of snow in clouds at low temperatures.

  • The reason plants in nature normally freeze a few degrees below 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the presence of ice nucleators such as the ice-nucleating bacterium, Pseudomonas syringae.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Ice nucleators serve as crucial agents that facilitate the formation of snowflakes in chilly conditions.

Surface Forms

nucleator singular
nucleators plural

Morphology

nucleator = nucleate (transparent) = nucle + ate + or

The word 'nucleator' is transparently derived from 'nucleate' by adding the agentive suffix '-or'.

Etymology

Nucleator comes from the Latin word nucleus, which means 'kernel' or 'core'. In chemistry a nucleator makes the first small 'core' where crystals or ice can form, so it helps the process begin and speeds up crystallization.