monometallicadj.
/ˌmɒnəʊmᵻˈtalɪk/, U.S. /ˈˌmɑnəməˈtælɪk/ 1. Chiefly Chemistry.
a. Containing one metal atom in the molecule, now esp. in the molecule of an organic or macromolecular complex.
ΚΠ
1861 W. Odling Man. Chem. 338 We have monometallic, dimetallic and trimetallic compounds, represented respectively by the formulæ MH2AsO4, M2HAsO4, and M3AsO4. Of dimetallic or neutral, and trimetallic or basic arsenates, those of the alkali-metals are alone soluble in water.
1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 819/1 Of the three potash salts, the mono-metallic salt (PO4KH2) is the most readily produced.
1905 G. M. Gould Dict. New Med. Terms Monometallic, 1. Containing one atom of a metal in a molecule.
1934 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 144 522 Five monometallic carbonyls (i.e., containing only one metallic atom in the molecule) are known.
1987 Jrnl. Chem. Soc.: Perkin Trans. 1 1479 Mg2+ and Mn2+ are bound in the monometallic complex 103 and 104 times more strongly than in the bismetallic species.
1996 Rapid Communic. Mass Spectrometry 10 1531 Mass spectra of monometallic and bimetallic ruthenium ( ii) complexes were recorded using a 252Cf time-of-flight mass spectrometer.
b. Capable of replacing one hydrogen atom in an acid. rare.Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.
ΚΠ
1905 G. M. Gould Dict. New Med. Terms Monometallic, capable of replacing one atom of hydrogen in an acid.
c. Consisting of or involving one metal. Cf. bimetallic adj., etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > elements and compounds > metals > [adjective]
metallic?a1425
monometallic1905
1905 G. M. Gould Dict. New Med. Terms Monometallic, consisting of one metal.
1911 Science 3 Mar. 354/1 There are several types of base apparatus which have been used..by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. They are: (1) the secondary apparatus, a monometallic multiple bar system; (2) the duplex apparatus, a bimetallic multiple bar system; [etc.].
1959 Science 27 Mar. 835/1 The Magnet Cove magmas developed essentially monometallic phases during the later stages of crystallization.
1986 Geochem. Internat. 23 156 Copper, molybdenum, and gold..form combined or monometallic mineralization zones at many deposits.
1998 Water Sci. & Technol. 37 177 The Pd monometallic catalysts were found to be advantageous over the Pd–Cu bimetallic catalyst with respect to both reaction activity and selectivity.
2. Economics. Relating to, involving, or using a standard of currency based on only one metal. Now chiefly historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > [adjective] > types of currency system
bimetallic1876
monometallic1877
silver1879
monometallist1886
trimetallic1887
bimetallistic1889
symmetallic1895
off-gold1935
single currency1952
1877 S. D. Horton Silver & Gold 149 The relative amounts of the stock of Bi-metallic countries and of Mono-metallic countries.
1879 Sussex Daily News 14 June 5/1 England is what is called monometallic, that is, she bases her currency on one metal, gold.
1890 Times 4 Jan. 9/2 If the world became monometallic on a silver basis.
1945 Econ. Jrnl. 55 217 The development of a monometallic theory established quite a new principle of financial practice.
1991 Jrnl. Polit. Econ. 99 1255 From 1830 to 1872, it [sc. Sweden] was on a monometallic silver standard.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1861