enantiomer
|e-nan-ti-o-mer|
🇺🇸
/ˌɛnænˈtaɪmər/
🇬🇧
/ˌɛnænˈtaɪmə/
mirror-image molecule
Etymology
'enantiomer' originates from modern scientific coinage ultimately derived from Greek: 'enantios' meaning 'opposite' and 'meros' meaning 'part'.
'enantiomer' was adapted into modern chemistry vocabulary (via German 'Enantiomer' in the 19th/20th century) from the Greek components and formed into the New Latin/International scientific term 'enantiomer'.
Originally built from elements meaning 'opposite part', it came to denote specifically a molecule that is the non-superimposable mirror image of another molecule.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
one of a pair of stereoisomeric molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.
The two enantiomers of the drug showed different pharmacological effects.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/05 04:48