: of or relating to a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image
Examples of chiral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the new study, the researchers coupled chiral liquid crystals with fluorescent dyes that emitted red, green, or blue light.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2023
Electrons with one spin orientation will move more efficiently across a chiral molecule in one direction than the other.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
But, strangely, the calculation that came closest used an oversimplified model of the nuclear force—not the chiral effective field theory.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
The newest addition to the list is a chiral bose-liquid state, which scientists just observed for the first time.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 14 July 2023
The formation and dissolution of these living chiral crystals is driven entirely by the embryos' development process.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2021
Spearmint and caraway oils are mutually chiral.
—Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021
The amino acids and sugars that make up our bodies are chiral.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2016
However, the dirt reacting with chiral selectivity would change the picture dramatically.
—David Warmflash, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2016
IEEE Spectrum, 16 Nov. 2023
Electrons with one spin orientation will move more efficiently across a chiral molecule in one direction than the other.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
But, strangely, the calculation that came closest used an oversimplified model of the nuclear force—not the chiral effective field theory.
—WIRED, 10 Aug. 2023
The newest addition to the list is a chiral bose-liquid state, which scientists just observed for the first time.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 14 July 2023
The formation and dissolution of these living chiral crystals is driven entirely by the embryos' development process.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2021
Spearmint and caraway oils are mutually chiral.
—Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021
The amino acids and sugars that make up our bodies are chiral.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2016
However, the dirt reacting with chiral selectivity would change the picture dramatically.
—David Warmflash, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2016
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
chir- + -al entry 1
First Known Use
1894, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing chiral
Dictionary Entries Near chiral
Cite this Entry
“Chiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiral. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
chiral
adjective
chi·ral
ˈkī-rəl 
1
a
of a molecule
: having a structure that is nonsuperimposable on its mirror image
chiral molecules
b
: relating to or composed of chiral molecules
In discussions of chiral drugs, thalidomide is sometimes cited as a prime example of a drug that differs strikingly in the properties of its two enantiomers.—Stephen C. Stinson, Chemical & Engineering News
Stephen C. Stinson, Chemical & Engineering News2
: of, relating to, or being a chiral center
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