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Glite Dictionary
copper oxide

copper oxide

4.6
A substance made of copper and oxygen that forms black or red solids
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒpər ˈaɪksaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : óxido de cobre
  • So the formic acid basically strips the oxide from the copper oxide and leaves elemental copper in the solution.

Examples

  • Copper sulfide and copper oxide were also attractive candidates.

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  • The artist used copper oxide to create a rich green pigment in her paintings.

  • Researchers are studying the properties of copper oxide for its potential use in solar panels.

  • When heated, copper oxide can change color, revealing its cuprous and cupric forms.

Synonyms

oxide
vscopper oxide
  • Specialized
39 4.2

A substance made of oxygen and another element

is the specific compound where the other element is copper in two forms

Surface Forms

copper oxide singular
copper oxides plural

Morphology

copper + oxide

The meaning is directly compositional: 'copper' (the element) + 'oxide' (a compound formed with oxygen) clearly yields a compound of copper and oxygen, so a B1 learner knowing both words can infer the meaning. This noun–noun chemical naming pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common (e.g., óxido de cobre), making the term readily predictable.

Etymology

Copper oxide comes from a simple picture: when copper meets 'oxygen' it forms a new layer or substance that can be red, black, or green. So copper oxide literally means a substance made of copper and oxide, and oxide is a word for something joined with 'oxygen', which is why the name describes what it is today.