Reading Theme:
Oxygen: Definition, Uses, and Examples
Meaning 1：life-supporting gas (oxygen)
oxygen
/ˈɒksɪdʒən/
n.
the gas in the air that we need to breathe to stay alive. It has no color or smell.
life-supporting gas
➕
/laɪf səˈpɔːrtɪŋ ɡæs/
n.
A colorless, odorless gas in the air that is essential for respiration and combustion.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Greek 'oxys' (sharp, acid) + 'genos' (birth), referring to acid-producer.
💡 Mnemonic
Ox sounds like 'ox' (strong animal) + 'gen' (gene) – gene of life for breathing.
📖 Example
The climber had difficulty breathing at the high altitude, so he used an oxygen tank to help him reach the summit.
The climber had difficulty breathing at the high altitude, so he used an oxygen tank to help him reach the summit.
🔗 Collocations
oxygen tank – a container storing compressed oxygen for breathing
oxygen level – the amount of oxygen present in a given environment or substance
oxygen mask – a device that delivers oxygen to the nose and mouth
🔄 Synonyms
air (n.) – the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen
O2 (n.) – the chemical symbol for molecular oxygen, used in scientific contexts
breathing gas (n.) – any gas mixture used for respiration, especially in diving or medical applications
🚫 Antonyms
carbon dioxide (n.) – a colorless gas produced by respiration and combustion, which is exhaled by animals
nitrogen (n.) – a colorless gas that makes up most of the atmosphere but is not used for respiration
🌱 Derivatives
oxygenate (v.) – to supply, treat, or enrich with oxygen
oxygenation (n.) – the process of adding oxygen to something
deoxygenate (v.) – to remove oxygen from something
📖 Cultural Story
Coined in 1777 by Antoine Lavoisier from Greek roots, mistakenly thought to be essential for all acids.
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser