ox·y·gen
| \ ˈäk-si-jən
\
\
Definition of oxygen
1
: a chemical element that constitues 21 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, that is capable of combining with all elements except some noble gases, that is active in physiological processes of almost all known organisms, and that is involved especially in combustion — see Chemical Elements Table
2
: something that sustains or fuels
disagreement is the true oxygen of these magazines— Joseph Epstein
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Other Words from oxygen
oxygenless
\ ˈäk-si-jən-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of oxygen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Amazon is the largest rainforest on the planet and produces 20% of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "5 things to know for August 22: Trump, mass shootings, Giuliani & Biden, wildfires," 22 Aug. 2019 Schmitt said the oxygen would be combined with coal into a stream of carbon dioxide and water inside a combustor. — Randy Diamond, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio’s Southwest Research Institute lands $3M to design cleaner coal plant," 12 Aug. 2019 The pursuit of Najee Harris and the late competition from Michigan just consumed much of the oxygen in the running back discussion of that recruiting cycle. — Michael Casagrande | [email protected], al, "Why Alabama RB says he’ll run ‘mad, angry’ after waiting his turn," 7 Aug. 2019 Yet the more oxygen these manifestos get, the wider their messages spread. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "The Wrong Way to Talk About a Shooter's Manifesto," 4 Aug. 2019 Pieces of rubber are built into the suit to keep the oxygen in the suit intact. — Joshua Bote, USA TODAY, "Spacesuits have been bulky since before Apollo 11. A skintight design may change that," 17 July 2019 Their product is a thin aluminum card with individual serving-size pockets of spices with the oxygen removed, keeping spices fresh longer. — Slade Rand, courant.com, "Tech innovators arrive in Hartford for 13-week summer startup ‘accelerator’ sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker and Techstars," 16 July 2019 None of our human connections flourish in isolation; like us, they must be fed with the oxygen of recognition and acceptance. — Jennifer Bernstein, Vox, "Even as I question the institution of marriage and all its traditions, I find myself still wanting a ring.," 3 July 2019 The other candidates on stage aren't likely to let Biden and Sanders suck up all the oxygen. — Laurie Kellman, chicagotribune.com, "What to watch for on debate night 2: Biden, Bernie and other stars take the stage," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oxygen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for oxygen
oxygen
noun
English Language Learners Definition of oxygen
: a chemical that is found in the air, that has no color, taste, or smell, and that is necessary for life
See the full definition for oxygen in the English Language Learners Dictionary
oxygen
noun
ox·y·gen
| \ ˈäk-si-jən
\
\
Kids Definition of oxygen
: a chemical element found in the air as a colorless odorless tasteless gas that is necessary for life
oxygen
noun
ox·y·gen
| \ ˈäk-si-jən
\
\
Medical Definition of oxygen
: a colorless tasteless odorless gaseous element that constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere and is found in water, in most rocks and minerals, and in numerous organic compounds, that is capable of combining with all elements except the inert gases, that is active in physiological processes, and that is involved especially in combustion processes
—symbol O
— see Chemical Elements Table
Other Words from oxygen
oxygenic
\ ˌäk-si-ˈjen-ik
\
adjective
\
adjective
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