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diprotium monoxide

diprotium monoxide

1.0
A clear liquid that people drink and use, called water
  • noun
  • /daɪˈproʊtiəm mɪˈnɒkaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : monóxido de diprotio
  • Some internet hoaxes warn about the dangers of diprotium monoxide, which is actually harmless.

Examples

  • The chemistry student identified diprotium monoxide as a clever term for plain water.

  • Did you know that diprotium monoxide is essential for life?

  • In the lab, the label read diprotium monoxide instead of the more familiar water.

  • The chemical formula for water is diprotium monoxide.

  • In the lab, the label read diprotium monoxide instead of the more familiar water.

  • The chemistry student identified diprotium monoxide as a clever term for plain water.

  • The chemical formula for water is diprotium monoxide.

Surface Forms

Morphology

diprotium + monoxide

The term is systematically compositional: 'monoxide' denotes one oxygen and 'diprotium' would mean two protium (hydrogen) atoms, so the parts together denote H2O. However, this relies on specialized chemical nomenclature (the prefix di- and the rare term 'protium'), knowledge that a typical B1 learner is unlikely to have, making the expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

Diprotium monoxide is a very formal chemical name. The parts diprotium ('two common hydrogens') and monoxide ('one oxygen') literally describe 'H2O', so diprotium monoxide simply means 'water'.