covalent

adjective

co·​va·​lent ˌkō-ˈvā-lənt How to pronounce covalent (audio)
ˈkō-ˌvā-
: of, relating to, or characterized by covalent bonds
covalently adverb

Examples of covalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the gel holds together throughout the bounce thanks to the stronger covalent bonds of the polyacrylamide. Ashley P. Taylor, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2012 Just 50% of nursing home residents have received their covalent boosters — and only an atrocious 25% of nursing home workers. Allison Hope, CNN, 20 Dec. 2022 These served as covalent bridges to lock the F protein in its prefusion configuration. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 3 May 2022 More specifically, the UV-C light damages nucleic acids inside these microorganisms, forming covalent bonds that prevent DNA from unzipping for replication. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2022 There’s a covalent sensation of nostalgia and novelty, like seeing a familiar place with fresh eyes, rebooting muscle memory grown soft from disuse. Tom Vanderbilt, Wired, 20 Dec. 2021 The hydrogel forms covalent bonds with the tissue’s surface. Max G. Levy, Wired, 16 July 2021 And a lab simulation on ionic and covalent bonds for her college biology class didn’t work properly. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2020 Cross-linking causes adjacent molecules to connect with one another via strong covalent bonds in many different places, toughening the material. Rob Verger, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'covalent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of covalent was circa 1926

Dictionary Entries Near covalent

Cite this Entry

“Covalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covalent. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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