Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

autoxidation

play
noun au·tox·i·da·tion \ ȯ-ˌtäk-sə-ˈdā-shən \

Definition of autoxidation

:oxidation by direct combination with oxygen (as in air) at ordinary temperatures

Read the Latest from M-W

image536372841
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!
alt-59c2cb9e9ef54
Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

First Known Use of autoxidation

1883

Medical Dictionary

autoxidation

play
noun au·tox·i·da·tion \ ȯ-ˌtäk-sə-ˈdā-shən \
variants: also auto-oxidation play \ˌȯt-ō-ˌäk-sə-ˈdā-shən\

medical Definition of autoxidation

:oxidation by direct combination with oxygen (as in air) at ordinary temperatures
  • the rancidity of fats and oils is caused by autoxidation

Learn More about autoxidation

  1. See words that rhyme with autoxidation Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autoxidation

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up autoxidation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. otherwise "in other respects"

  2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  5. allegory No spoilers!

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

autoxidation

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

image536372841
Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game