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hydrogen peroxide

hydrogen peroxide

4 3.7
A clear liquid used to clean wounds, to bleach things, and to power rockets in strong form
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪdrədʒən pərˈɒksaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : peróxido de hidrógeno
  • Flushing Jessie's abscess with hydrogen peroxide helps prevent infection.
  • 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • 30% hydrogen peroxide
  • hydrogen peroxide solution

Examples

  • And once we do that, then we're going to combine that with our hydrogen peroxide and soap mixture.

  • Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used to disinfect minor cuts and scrapes.

  • I should have some hydrogen peroxide around here somewhere.

  • Now, what I wanted to show you is hydrogen peroxide does release pure oxygen.

  • After each surgical procedure, the site was routinely cleaned of blood with hydrogen peroxide and dried thoroughly.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Necrotic tissues were removed, and the wounds were repeatedly washed with saline solution and hydrogen peroxide.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The substance responsible for tooth bleaching is hydrogen peroxide (HP, H₂O₂).

    Academic text (2018)
  • Many people use a solution of hydrogen peroxide to whiten their teeth.

  • When cleaning, make sure to dilute hydrogen peroxide with water for safe use.

Synonyms

peroxide
vshydrogen peroxide
27 4.9

A chemical used to bleach hair or clean and kill germs

is one specific chemical in that class used for bleaching and disinfection

Surface Forms

Morphology

hydrogen + peroxide

The term is a straightforward chemical compound name: combining 'hydrogen' (the element) with 'peroxide' (a reactive bleach/disinfectant) signals a peroxide containing hydrogen, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a hydrogen-containing bleach/disinfectant. Chemical naming is systematic and similar across languages, so the meaning is compositional and recoverable from the parts.

Etymology

Hydrogen peroxide gets its name from its parts: hydrogen (a simple gas) and peroxide (a part with extra oxygen). That extra oxygen is what makes it a strong cleaner and 'bleach', so the name helps explain why people use hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds or whiten things.