reagentn.
/rɪˈeɪdʒ(ə)nt/, U.S. /riˈeɪdʒ(ə)nt/ 1. A person who or thing which is acted upon or reacts to something; something which acts as a reactive substance, force, etc. In later use often influenced by sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > [noun] > return action or operation > a reactive substance or force
reagent1656
1656 tr. T. Hobbes Elements Philos. iii. xxii. 258 The endeavour or motion both of the Agent and Patient (or Reagent) will be propagated between the same terms.
1778 W. Cookworthy & T. Hartley tr. E. Swedenborg Treat. Heaven & Hell 404 In bad men, evil is the agent, and good is but the reagent [L. reagens].
1794 Aphorisms of Wisdom 208 The Apostle therefore testifies—‘We love him, because he first loved us;’ i.e. we are the Re-agents of his own Love.
1856 R. W. Emerson Eng. Traits iv. 54 Civilization is a re-agent, and eats away the old traits.
1880 W. MacCormac Antiseptic Surg. 113 The antiseptic method is not the mere employment of any single reagent.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. xvii. [Ithaca] 684 A nature full and volatile in its free state, was alternately the agent and reagent of attraction.
1935 Times 24 Dec. 15/2 It found it could use Captain Liddell Hart's work as a sort of reagent.
1986 W. Weaver tr. U. Eco Trav. in Hyper Reality i. 39 We must in fairness employ this American reality as a critical reagent for an examination of conscience regarding European taste.
1997 Jrnl. Amer. Hist. 84 484 The art of the book was to foreclose readers' opportunities to [give]..voice to experiences outside the consciousness of ‘white folk’ and ‘black folk’. Double consciousness and its reagent, the veil, gave the author space to do both.
2. Chemistry. A substance used in testing for other substances, or for reacting with them in a particular way; (more widely) any substance used in chemical reactions (cf. reactant n.).Grignard, Millon's, Schiff reagent, etc.: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical tests > [noun] > reagents
reagent1784
reactive1791
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical reactions or processes > [noun] > substances involved in > reagent
reagent1784
chemical reagent1787
1784 E. Cullen in tr. T. Bergman Physical & Chem. Ess. I. ii. 125 (note) It may be doubted whether the reasons here alledged are sufficient to justify the learned Professor in expelling so contemptuously syrup of violets from the place that it has so long held in the class of reagents.
1798 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 88 115 The liquor..being examined by the re-agents commonly used, afforded no trace of matter in solution.
1812 H. Davy Elements Chem. Philos. 27 Boyle..introduced the use of tests or reagents, active substances for detecting the presence of other bodies.
1880 C. Darwin in Life & Lett. (1887) III. 346 Injecting various reagents into the tissues of leaves.
1948 A. J. Currier & A. Rose Gen. & Appl. Chem. xix. 151 Nitric acid..is a very important substance: in the laboratory as an oxidizing reagent.
1970 J. Blish Spock must Die! v. 38 There's a lot of equipment in there that's irreplaceable under our present circumstance, to say nothing of a good many reagents and drugs.
1973 Materials & Technol. VI. viii. 545 To make a bonded joint, the PTFE is first etched with a reagent.
2004 Guardian 23 Dec. i. 19/7 The organoboranes were to become the most versatile reagents ever created in organic chemistry.
Compounds
reagent grade n. Chemistry a grade of commercial chemicals characterized by a high standard of purity and suitable for laboratory use; frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical substances > [noun] > chemicals > others
fine chemicals1839
heavy chemicals1874
reagent grade1905
inorganic1945
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical substances > [adjective] > of or relating to chemicals > others
reagent grade1905
1905 Bot. Gaz. 39 3 The chemicals..were Merck's guaranteed reagent grade.
1966 A. S. Prasad Zinc Metabolism xv. 275 Six of..[the patients] received reagent grade zinc sulfate 90 mg daily.
1993 Dyes & Pigments 21 17 Commercially available reagent-grade substances were used in this work.
reagent paper n. Chemistry paper treated with a reagent for use in chemical tests.
ΚΠ
1845 J. S. Muspratt tr. C. F. Plattner Use of Blowpipe 221 It is only necessary..to moisten the compound fluoride with hydrochloric acid..and then to apply the reagent-paper.
1908 Practitioner Mar. 410 A pea-sized piece being rubbed up with 2 c.c. of water, and the reagent-paper dipped into this.
2004 Clin. Microbiol. Newslet. 26 180/2 Reagent paper attached to the plastic test strip detects the presence of nitrate.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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