oxy-
(ɒksɪ)
repr. Gr. ὀξυ-, combining form of ὀξύς sharp, keen, acute, pungent, acid; used in various words, chiefly scientific. The more important of these will be found in their alphabetical places; others follow here, in two groups.
1. Words of various kinds, in which oxy- stands for ‘sharp’, ‘acute’ (in lit. or fig. sense): as
oxyacanthous (-əˈkænθəs) a. Bot. [Gr. ἄκανθα thorn], having sharp thorns (Mayne Expos. Lex. 1857). ‖ oxyæsthesia (-ɪsˈθiːsɪə) Phys. and Path. [mod.L., f. Gr. αἴσθησις feeling], abnormal acuteness of sensation, hyperæsthesia (Mayne). ‖ oxyaphia (-ˈæfɪə) Phys. and Path. [mod.L., f. Gr. ἁϕή touch], excessive acuteness of the sense of touch (Mayne). oxyˈaster Zool. [Gr. ἀστήρ star], a sponge-spicule having acute rays radiating from one point. ‖ oxyˈblepsia Phys. [mod.L., a. Gr. ὀξυβλεψία, f. βλέπειν to look], acuteness of sight, sharp-sightedness (Mayne). oxyˈcarpous a. Bot. [Gr. καρπός fruit], having pointed fruit (Mayne). oxycephalic (sɪˈfælɪk) a. Anthropol. [Gr. κεϕαλή head], having a skull of pointed or conical shape; so oxyˈcephaly, the condition of being oxycephalic. ˈoxyclad Zool., a branched form of sponge-spicule: see quot. oxyˈdactyl Zool. [Gr. δάκτυλος finger or toe], a. belonging to the division Oxydactyla of Batrachians, characterized by slender toes; n. an oxydactyl batrachian. † oxyˈdercical a. Obs. [Gr. ὀξυδερκικός], sharpening the sight. oxyˈdiact a. and n. Zool. [di-2; Gr. ἀκτίς ray], (a sponge-spicule) having two acute rays. ‖ oxyecoia (-iːˈkəʊɪə) Phys. and Path. [mod.L., a. Gr. ὀξυηκο{giumlacu}α, f. ἀκούειν to hear], abnormal acuteness of hearing, acoustic hyperæsthesia (Mayne). † oxygal [ad. L. oxygala, Gr. ὀξύγαλα], sour milk. ‖ oxygeusia (-ˈgjuːsɪə) Phys. and Path. (also anglicized -geusy) [mod.L., f. Gr. γεῦσις taste], excessive acuteness of the sense of taste (Mayne). oxygnathous (ɒkˈsɪgnəθəs) a. Zool. [Gr. γνάθος jaw], having the jaws of the shell quite or almost smooth, as certain pulmonate molluscs. oxyˈhexact a. and n. Zool. [Gr. ἕξ six, ἀκτίς ray], (a sponge-spicule) having six acute rays; so oxyheˈxaster, a hexaster with acute rays (? = prec.). oxyklinocephalic (-ˌklaɪnəʊsɪˈfælɪk), a. Anthropol., ? said of a skull combining the oxycephalic and klinocephalic forms. ‖ oxyˈopia Phys. (anglicized oxyopy) [mod.L., f. Gr. ὀπ- to see], abnormal acuteness of sight (Mayne). ‖ oxyosphresia (-ɒsˈfriːsɪə) Phys. [mod.L., f. Gr. ὄσϕρησις smell], excessive acuteness of the sense of smell (Dunglison 1842). oxyˈpentact a., n. Zool. [Gr. πέντε five, ἀκτίς ray], (a sponge-spicule) having five acute rays. oxyˈpetalous a. Bot., having pointed petals (Mayne). ‖ oxyˈphonia Phys., Path. (also anglicized oxˈyphony) [mod.L., a. Gr. ὀξυϕωνία, f. ϕωνή voice], excessive acuteness or shrillness of voice (Dunglison 1842). oxyphyllous (-ˈfɪləs) a. Bot. [Gr. ϕύλλον leaf], having pointed leaves (Mayne). ˈoxyr(r)hine, oxyˈr(r)hinous adjs. Zool. [Gr. ῥίς, ῥῑν- snout], sharp-nosed, sharp-snouted. oxystomatous (-ˈstɒmətəs) a. Zool. [Gr. στόµα mouth], having the mouth-parts sharply projecting, as the division Oxystomata (Milne Edwards) of crabs; so ˈoxystome a. = prec.; n. a crab of the division Oxystomata. oxystrongyle (-ˈstrɒndʒɪl), -strongylus Zool. [strongyle], a sponge-spicule like a strongyle but sharp at each end; hence oxyˈstrongylous a., of the nature of an oxystrongyle. oxyˈtetract a. and n. Zool. [Gr. τετρα- four, ἀκτίς ray], (a sponge-spicule) having four acute rays. oxytylote (ɒkˈsɪtɪləʊt) Zool. [Gr. τύλος knob], a simple sponge-spicule sharp at one end and blunt at the other; hence oxytylotate (-ˈtɪləʊteɪt) a., having the character of an oxytylote.
| 1886 R. von Lendenfeld Sponges in Proc. Zool. Soc. 561 *Oxyaster. With long, slender, pointed rays. |
| 1878 Bartley tr. Topinard's Anthrop. v. 176 *Oxycephalic, elevated skull. 1890 H. Ellis Criminal iii. 50 There is a generally recognised tendency to the pointed (oxycephalic) or sugar-loaf form of head. |
| 1895 Forum (N.Y.) Sept. 36 Among these anomalies were..‘*oxicephaly’. |
| 1888 Sollas in Challenger Rep. XXV. p. lv, *Oxyclad (κλάδος, a young branch). The esactine is oxeate, the ecactine terminates in two or more secondary actines or ‘cladi’. |
| 1657 Tomlinson Renou's Disp. 195 Make an *oxydercical collyrie of such medicaments as cure caligation. |
| 1886 Lendenfeld (as above) 562 *Oxydiact. Four rays rudimentary, only two rays lying in one straight line remain. |
| [1706 Phillips, *Oxygala, Sower Milk.] 1745 tr. Columella's Husb. xii. viii, Make oxygal, or sour milk, after this manner. |
| 1886 Lendenfeld (as above) 562 *Oxyhexact. With six pointed rays, the ends of which form the corners of a double square pyramid. The rays represent the crystalline axes. |
| 1886 Lendenfeld (as above) 562 Hexaster. A star with six, generally equal rays:—a. *Oxyhexaster. Rays pointed. b. Discohexaster. Rays terminated by disks. |
| 1878 Bartley tr. Topinard's Anthrop. v. 177 A certain deformed skull found in Silesia is *oxyklinocephalic. |
| 1846 Smart, *Oxyo{p}py, preternaturally acute vision. |
| 1886 Lendenfeld (as above) 562 *Oxypentact. One ray rudimentary, representing the axes of a simple square pyramid. |
| 1846 Smart, *Ox{p}yphony, acuteness of voice. |
| 1890 Cent. Dict., *Oxyrhine. |
| 1892 Syd. Soc. Lex., *Oxyrrhinous. |
| 1857 Mayne Expos. Lex., Oxystomatus,..*oxystomatous. |
| 1852 Dana Crust. i. 62 The triangular mouth of the *Oxystomes. |
| 1888 Sollas (as above), *Oxystrongyle.—The esactine is oxeate and the ecactine strongylate...*Oxytylote...The esactine is oxeate, and the ecactine tylote. |
| 1886 Lendenfeld (as above) 562 *Oxytetract. Two rays rudimentary, representing the edges of a square pyramid. |
2. Chemical words, in which
oxy- is taken as the combining form of
oxygen (
cf. hydro- d); denoting either simply the presence of oxygen, as in
oxyacid, oxysalt,
† oxybase, or the addition of oxygen to the substance denoted by the simple word, and thus practically
= oxygenated or
oxidized. For special uses, see oxychloride,
oxysulphate, and other main words. A looser use is seen in
oxy-acetylene,
oxy-alcohol (or
oxy-spirit),
oxy-coal-gas,
oxy-house-gas,
oxy-ether,
oxy-fuel,
oxy-gas,
oxy-propane, terms applied
attrib. (after
oxyhydrogen, oxycalcium) to the flame produced by mixing acetylene, the vapour of a spirit lamp, ordinary house-gas, or sulphuric ether, etc. with oxygen; so
oxy-alcohol blowpipe,
oxy-alcohol lamp, etc.;
oxy-helium, a mixture of oxygen and helium, used as a breathing mixture in deep-sea diving;
oxy-paraffin a., applied to a paraffin lamp with arrangement for complete oxygenation of the flame.
But the most frequent use of
oxy- is as a prefix to names of organic substances, to denote a derivative or related compound in which an atom of hydrogen is displaced by one of hydroxyl (HO); in which sense the more accurate
hydroxy- is now often preferred: see
oxyacid 2.
In earlier use often spelt
oxi-; before a vowel sometimes reduced to
ox-: see
ox- 1.
The more important of the
oxy- compounds are treated as main words; the
oxy- or rather
hydroxy- organic compounds are unlimited in number, including
e.g. oxy- or
hydroxyacetal (CH
2(OH)CH(OC
2H
5)
2);
oxy-aldehyde (CH
2(OH)CHO);
oxy-anthracene (
= anthraquinone);
oxy-benzene or
oxy-benzol (
= phenol, C
6H
5OH);
oxy-benzyl;
oxy-camphor (C
10H
16O
2);
oxy-cannabin (C
20H
20N
2O
7);
oxy-caproamine (
= leucine);
oxy-choline (
= betaine);
oxy-cinchonine (C
19H
22N
2O
2);
oxy-cymene (
= carvacrol, C
10H
13OH);
oxy-dimorphine (C
34H
36N
2O
6);
oxy-guanine;
oxy-glycolyl-urea (
= allanturic acid);
oxy-lanthopine;
oxy-methyl;
oxy-methylene (
= formic aldehyde);
oxy-morphine (C
7H
19NO
4);
oxy-naphthylamine (or
oxy-naphthylidine, C
10H
9NO),
oxy-narcotine (C
22H
23NO
8);
oxy-neurine (
= betaine);
oxy-phenol (
= pyrocatechin);
oxy-phenyl (C
6H
4OH);
oxy-quinine;
oxy-quinoline (
= carbostyril);
oxy-strychnine (C
21H
28N
2O
6);
oxy-sulphobenzide;
oxy-thymoquinone (C
10H
12O
3);
oxy-toluene (
= cresol, C
7H
8O);
oxy-toluyl, etc.
Also in the names of oxy- or hydroxy-acids, as
oxy-acetic (
= glycollic);
oxy-amygdalic;
oxy-benzoic (C
7H
6O
3);
oxy-butyric (C
4H
8O
3);
oxy-caproic (
= leucic);
oxy-chelidonic (
= meconic);
oxy-cholic;
oxy-cuminamic (NH
2.C
10H
10O.OH);
oxy-cuminic (C
10H
12O
3);
oxy-gummic (C
4H
10O
11);
oxy-hippuric (C
9H
9NO
4);
oxy-isouvitic (C
9H
8O
6);
oxy-lizaric acid (
= purpurin);
oxy-mandelic (
= phenylglycollic);
oxy-mesitylenic (C
9H
10O
3);
oxy-naphthoic (C
10H
6(OH)CO
2H);
oxy-phenic acid (
= pyrocatechin);
oxy-picric (
= styphnic, C
6H
3N
3O
8);
oxy-propionic (
= lactic);
oxy-salicylic (
= gentisinic, C
6H
3(OH)
2COOH);
oxy-tannic;
oxy-terephthalic (C
8H
12O
3);
oxy-tolic (C
7H
6O
3);
oxy-toluamic;
oxy-toluic (
= cresotic, C
6H
3(CH
3)(OH)CO
2H);
oxy-trimesic;
oxy-uric, etc.
| 1864–72 Watts Dict. Chem. II. 909 Glycollic acid. C2H4O3..*Oxacetic acid. 1873 ― Fownes' Chem. (ed. 11) 681 Nitrous acid converts glycocine into glycollic or oxyacetic acid. |
| 1909 Westm. Gaz. 19 Jan. 4/2 A special weldless steel tubing brazed together by an *oxy-acetylene process. 1939 L. Tibbenham Welding Cast Iron iii. 29 The temperature of an air-acetylene flame is about three-quarters that of oxy-acetylene. 1959 Listener 8 Oct. 583/3 Before the days of oxy-acetylene. 1961 C. Willock Death in Covert iii. 56 A desk which had been designed by a modern sculptor whose chosen tool was the oxy-acetylene welder's torch. 1975 R. C. Jain tr. Castro & de Cadenet's Welding Metall. iii. 20 The oxy-acetylene process is being largely replaced by the electric-arc methods since it has a number of disadvantages in the welding of stainless steels. |
| 1892 Syd. Soc. Lex. s.v., *Oxyalcohol blowpipe..invented by Marcet, in which the flame of a spirit lamp is urged by a blowpipe transmitting oxygen. |
| 1899 J. Cagney tr. Jaksch's Clin. Diagn. vii. (ed. 4) 351 The aromatic oxy-acids which have been proved to exist in the urine are paroxy⁓phenyl acetic acid,..*oxyamygdalic acid. |
| 1866–77 Watts Dict. Chem. IV. 352 *Oxanthracene. C14H8O2..When anthracene is boiled for some days with nitric acid, a resin is formed which becomes granular on cooling, and..forms light reddish-yellow crystals of oxanthracene. 1892 Morley & Muir Watts' Dict. III. 670 Di-oxy-anthracene C14H8(OH)2, Chrysazol. |
| 1865 Mansfield Salts 45 An *Oxybase bears to the general idea of a salt and to Oxygen a relation just the converse of that which a Hydrostyle bears to that idea and to Hydrogen. The term Oxybase includes the Alkalies, commonly so called. |
| 1866 Odling Anim. Chem. 121 Ampelic or *oxi-benzoic acid. |
| 1873 Watts Fownes' Chem. 616 Quartene or butene glycol is converted by slow oxidation with nitric acid into *oxybutyric acid. 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. IV. 310 In diabetes..acetone and oxybutyric acid, are usually present with the sugar. 1882 Nature XXVII. 118/2 By the action of boiling 60 per cent. nitric acid, cellulose is converted into an amorphous substance C18H26O16, oxy⁓cellulose. |
| 1878 Kingzett Anim. Chem. 99 By oxidation of a milder character..a white amorphous acid, termed *oxy⁓cholic, is produced. |
| 1889 Lockyer in Harper's Mag. Mar. 582/1 By means of the *oxy-coal-gas flame, we can determine the spectrum of any vapor given off. |
| 1877 Watts Fownes' Chem. (ed. 12) II. 490 Carvacrol *Oxycymene, or Cymenol, is..a thick oil. |
| 1969 New Scientist 8 May 284/2 The *oxy-fuel burner was then lit and the charge melted with the burner operating under reducing conditions. |
| 1951 E. G. West Welding Non-Ferrous Metals iii. 48 The *oxy-gas cutting of ferrous metals, except stainless steels, depends on the rapid oxidation of the iron by the oxygen stream. 1974 Nature 4 Jan. 53/2 In this operation, in which oxy-gas torches have been used at the work face, temperatures are in the region of 3,000–3,500° C. |
| 1873 C. H. Ralfe Phys. Chem. 93 By oxidation with potassium permanganate, guanin is converted into urea, oxalic acid, and *oxy-guanin. |
| 1966 A. B. Cameron in P. Hepple Petroleum Supply & Demand 38 The use of *oxyhelium equipment now enables them [sc. divers] to remain as deep as 525 ft for periods up to 30 minutes. 1969 Physics Bull. Feb. 51/2 There is a problem of speech communication between divers breathing oxy-helium and the men on the surface. 1976 Offshore Engineer Apr. 23/1 Comex physiologists first described the High Pressure Nervous Syndrome (HPNS) during oxy-helium dives as long ago as 1968. |
| 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 407/2 If the oxy-spirit, *oxy-house-gas, or oxy⁓hydrogen jets, or the magnesium lamps..are to be used. |
| 1866–77 Watts Dict. Chem. IV. 313 *Oxymethyl-carbonic acid, a name applied by Kolbe..to glycollic acid. |
| 1875 Ibid. VII. 886 *Oxyneurine. This base..is identical with betaine from beet-juice. |
| 1870 Eng. Mech. 21 Jan. 453/2 *Oxy-paraffin oil lamps. |
| 1857 W. A. Miller Elem. Chem. III. 572 *Oxyphenic Acid or Pyrocatechin (C12H6O4) the formula of Oxyphenic differs from that of phenic acid by two equivalents of oxygen. |
| 1963 A. C. Davies Sci. & Pract. Welding (ed. 5) vi. 371 Iron and steel can be cut by the oxy-hydrogen, *oxy-propane, oxy-coal gas and oxy-acetylene cutting blow-pipes with ease, speed and a cleanness of cut. 1970 Daily Tel. 24 Sept. 2/2 On the morning of the explosion two workmen were using oxy-propane cutting tools. |
| 1873 Watts Fownes' Chem. 683 Nitrous acid converts alanine into lactic or *oxypropionic acid. 1879 *Oxy-spirit [see oxy-house-gas]. |
| 1866–77 Watts Dict. Chem. IV. 321 *Oxytolic acid, C7H6O3. An acid, isomeric with salicylic and oxybenzoic acids... It is produced by the oxidation of toluene. |
| 1873 ― Fownes' Chem. 704 Amylene glycol yields oxybutyric instead of *oxyvaleric acid. |