allotropy

noun

al·​lot·​ro·​py ə-ˈlä-trə-pē How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
plural allotropies
: the existence of a substance and especially an element in two or more different forms (as of crystals) usually in the same phase
allotropic
ˌa-lə-ˈträ-pik How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Allotropie, borrowed from Swedish allotropi, from Late Greek allótropos, taken to mean "of a different character" (from allo- allo- + -tropos, adjective derivative from trópos "turn, direction, manner, character") + -i -y entry 2 — more at trope

Note: The Swedish noun allotropi was introduced by Jakob berzelius in Årsberättelse om framstegen i fysik och kemi afgiven den 31 mars 1840, andra delen (Stockholm, 1840), p. 14 (translated into German as Jahres-Bericht über die Fortschritte der physischen Wissenschaften von Jacob Berzelius, eingereicht an die schwedische Akademie der Wissenschaften den 31. März 1840, 20. Jahrgang, Tübingen, 1841). As the source of the word Berzelius adduces Greek allótropos, defined as "af olika beskaffenhet" ("of a different character"); he may have taken it from Passow's Handwörterbuch der griechischen Sprache (4. Ausgabe, Leipzig, 1831), where it is translated "andersartig, veränderlich" ("different, variable"), without textual attestation. Liddell and Scott's A Greek-English Lexicon shows limited Late Greek evidence for the word, defined as "strange."

First Known Use

circa 1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of allotropy was circa 1842

Dictionary Entries Near allotropy

allotropize

allotropy

allottable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Allotropy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allotropy. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

allotropy

noun
al·​lot·​ro·​py ə-ˈlä-trə-pē How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
: the existence of a substance and especially a chemical element in two or more different forms
diamond and graphite show the allotropy of carbon
allotrope
ˈal-ə-ˌtrōp
noun
allotropic
ˌal-ə-ˈträp-ik How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
adjective

Medical Definition

allotropy

noun
al·​lot·​ro·​py ə-ˈlä-trə-pē How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
plural allotropies
: the existence of a substance and especially an element in two or more different forms (as of crystals) usually in the same phase
allotropic
ˌal-ə-ˈträp-ik How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
adjective
allotropically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce allotropy (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on allotropy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about allotropy

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