polyatomicadj.n.

1852 T. Graham Elem. Chem. iii. 163 M. Millon..assumes the existence of poly-atomic bases, or that two, three, four, and even six equivalents of water or a metallic oxide may together constitute a single equivalent of base.

1866 H. E. Roscoe Lessons Elem. Chem. xxvii. 242 Amongst the carbon compounds some radicals exist in which more than one combining power remains unsaturated, and which therefore acts [sic] as polyatomic radicals.

1870 Proc. Royal Soc. 1869–70 18 550 The chlorides of the polyatomic metals would be more likely to split up in the presence of water into oxides and hydrochloric acid.

1908 W. T. Hall & G. Defren tr. E. Abderhalden Text-bk. Physiol. Chem. ii. 14 In general, the carbohydrates are aldehyde or ketone derivatives of polyatomic alcohols.

1895 Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 17 228 The only alternative is to suppose that if argon molecules are di- or polyatomic, the atoms acquire no relative motion.

1922 T. M. Lowry Inorg. Chem. xiii. 136 More complex molecules, triatomic, tetratomic, or polyatomic, are known, such as O₃ (ozone), P₄, As₄, S₈.

1961 G. R. Choppin Exper. Nucl. Chem. iii. 37 Counting gases are usually one of the noble gases mixed with a small amount of a polyatomic gas.

1991 D. T. Sawyer Oxygen Chem. i. 4 Oxygen atoms react spontaneously with the atoms of all elements except the noble gases to form polyatomic molecules via covalent bonds.

1965 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 286 181 (caption) Repetitive scan results for polyatomics.

2000 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 23/2 Larger polyatomics are difficult to distinguish or even detect by plasma imaging methods.