dextrorotatory
1
9.9
Rotating polarized light to the right when light passes through a substance
- adjective
- /ˌdɛkstroʊroʊˈteɪtəri/
- Specialized
:
dextrorrotatorio
- The scientist noted that the dextrorotatory compound caused the solution to rotate light to the right.
Examples
-
In the experiment, the dextrorotatory sugar was used to demonstrate its effect on polarized light.
-
It smelled of butyric acid and dextrorotatory sucrose, and also very faintly of Canoe.
Fiction book (1999) -
Chemists often use dextrorotatory substances to identify their optical activity in laboratory settings.
Synonyms
1
2.8
Rotating to the right, like a screw that tightens when turned clockwise
is specific to turning the plane of polarized light rather than general right rotation
9.9
Turns polarized light to the right when seen along the beam
is the variant form of the same scientific adjective differing only in ending
8.8
On the right side or turning to the right, like a shell
is limited to optical rotation of polarized light rather than spatial rightness
Surface Forms
dextrorotatory positive
Morphology
Etymology
Dextrorotatory comes from dextro- meaning 'right' and the same root as rotate, meaning 'turn'. So a dextrorotatory substance 'turns' the plane of polarized light to the right, or clockwise, when you look along the direction of the light.