: a substance that oxidizes something especially chemically (as by accepting electrons)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebOnce a missile appears to be fueled, analysts assume it will be launched within three to four days because a corrosive oxidizing agent in the fuel could cause a leak if the delay exceeds that. Alastair Gale, WSJ, 27 May 2022 In a rocket engine, chamber pressure refers to the amount of fuel and oxidizing agent that can be mixed and ignited, which then generates thrust to lift the rocket. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2022 This by itself was alarming, but not unprecedented: Liquid propellants, long preferred in many Russian missiles, are volatile and have exploded when prematurely brought into contact with oxidizing agents. Ankit Panda, The New Republic, 21 Aug. 2019
Word History
First Known Use
1814, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
oxidizing agent
noun
: a substance that oxidizes something especially chemically (as by accepting electrons)