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Definition of "electrophile" [electrophile]

  • A chemical compound or group that is attracted to electrons and tends to accept electrons. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "electrophile" in a sentence
  • "An '' 'electrophile' '' is a negatively charged proton which is attracted to the oppositely charged electronsa round another atom."
  • "This ability to attract electrons has earned cinnamic aldehyde its electrophile classification, but cinnamic aldehyde has mild or weak activity."
  • "Any substance that rips electrons away from another molecule is known as an oxidizing agent or electrophile."