oxygen

Borrowed from French oxygène (originally in the form principe oxygène, a variant of principe oxigine ‘acidifying principle’, suggested by Lavoisier), from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, “sharp”) + γένος (génos, “birth”), referring to oxygen's supposed role in the formation of acids.

• enPR: ŏk'sĭjən, IPA^(key): /ˈɒksɪd͡ʒən/

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oxygen (countable and uncountable, plural oxygens)

1. The chemical element (symbol O) with an atomic number of 8 and relative atomic mass of 15.9994. It is a colorless and odorless gas.

   Hypernym: chalcogen

2. Molecular oxygen (O₂), a colorless, odorless gas at room temperature, also called dioxygen.
   • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:

     Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light.

3. (medicine) A mixture of oxygen and other gases, administered to a patient to help them breathe.
4. (countable) An atom of this element.
   • 2013, Spencer L. Seager, Michael R. Slabaugh, Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, page 479:

     Look first at any structure to see if there is a carbon with two oxygens attached. Hemiacetals, hemiketals, acetals, and ketals are all alike in that regard.

5. (figurative) A condition or environment in which something can thrive.

   Silence is the oxygen of shame.

   They hoped to starve the terrorists of the oxygen of publicity.

• sourstuff
• E948 when used as a packaging gas

• → Burmese: အောက်ဆီဂျင် (aukhcigyang)

• ozone

• Oxygen on the British Royal Society of Chemistry's online periodic table

oxygen n (singular definite oxygenet, not used in plural form)

1. oxygen

   Synonym: ilt

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oxygen (strong nominative masculine singular oxygener, not comparable)

1. (chemistry) oxygenic

   Antonym: anoxygen

   oxygene Photosynthese ― oxygenic photosynthesis

• Oxygen

Borrowed from Latin oxygenium.

oxygen n

1. (rare) oxygen

   Synonyms: syre, syrgas

   • 2022 December 7, Inga Korsbäck, “Ökade lager av syrgas på sjukhusen i Västmanland – insåg behovet under pandemin [Increased stocks of oxygen at the hospitals in Västmanland - realized the need during the pandemic.]”, in Sveriges Radio P4:

     När pandemin tog fart våren 2020 var Region Västmanlands beredskap god när det gäller medicinska gaser som syrgas (oxygen). Redan i april 2020 fanns en extra tank flytande oxygen på plats på sjukhusområdet i Västerås och man klarar i dag Socialstyrelsens skärpta krav.

     When the pandemic gained momentum in the spring of 2020, Region Västmanland's preparedness was good concerning medical gases like oxygen. Already in April 2020, there was an additional tank of liquid oxygen in place at the hospital area in Västerås, and today they meet the stricter requirements set by the National Board of Health and Welfare.

• The term oxygen is rarely used; it primarily appears on gas tubes and canisters for international standardization, as well as a safety precaution to minimize the risk of confusing syre (“oxygen”) with syra (“acid”).