Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
reducing

reducing

7.5
A chemical process in which atoms or ions gain electrons, often by adding hydrogen
  • noun
  • /rɪˈdjuːsɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : reducción
  • Section: REDUCING SURCHARGES

Examples

  • REDUCING EXACERBATIONS

    Academic text (2014)

  • THEY WERE BASED THEN, THAT FIRST SET, ON THE AS-YET UNPROVEN THEORY THAT REDUCING DIETARY FAT WOULD REDUCE HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, AND OBESITY.

    The Perfect Human Diet (2012)

  • So we had to choose a reducing agent, right?

  • TELL HIM WE CAN GET HIM TO TURN BY REDUCING POWER IN ONE ENGINE.

    Ground Control (1998)

  • THE RISKS OF REDUCING RISK

    Academic text (2018)

  • BE THAT AS IT MAY, EACH SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN ASKED TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS ON WAYS OF REDUCING COSTS BY 10% FOR SEPTEMBER.

    Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

  • I'VE JUST GOT TO WAX THE OLD MAN-TO-WAVE FRICTION REDUCING VEHICLE.

    Surf Ninjas (1993)

  • In the laboratory, we used hydrogen gas as a reducing agent to convert the metal oxide back to its elemental form.

  • The experiment demonstrated a clear reducing process when electrons were transferred to the copper ions.

  • During the chemical reaction, the reducing effect of the agent was observed as oxygen was removed from the compound.

Synonyms

reduction
vsreducing
  • Specialized
11 6.1

When an atom or charged atom gains electrons, often by gaining hydrogen

serves as the verb or adjective form that describes the action

Compounds

reducing agent
  • Specialized
5.8

A substance that gives electrons to another substance in a chemical reaction

reducing diet
3.3

A diet that helps you lose weight by eating less fat and sugar

How Reducing

reducing
  • Specialized
7.5
nonreducing
  • Specialized
8.4

Surface Forms

reducing singular
reductions plural

Morphology

reducing = reduce (semi-transparent) = reduce + ing

Formed from the verb 'reduce' with the gerundial/nominalizing suffix '-ing'; the chemistry-specific sense (redox process) is technical and may not be deducible by average learners from the everyday meaning.

Etymology

Reducing comes from the parts re- ('back') and -duce ('lead'), the same root you see in produce and introduce. In chemistry, a reducing process 'brings back' an atom by adding electrons or removing oxygen (or adding hydrogen), which is why it returns the substance closer to its earlier, simpler form.