hydrogen bond

noun

: an electrostatic attraction between a hydrogen atom in one polar molecule (as of water) and a small electronegative atom (as of oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) in usually another molecule of the same or a different polar substance
hydrogen bonding noun

Examples of hydrogen bond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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These hydrogels were made of a polymer net that gave them their shape, crosslinkers like borax or hydrogen bonds that held this net together, a liquid phase made of water, and salt or other electrolyte additives providing ions that moved through the watery gel as the battery charged or discharged. ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025 The strands are held together by strong chemical bonds called disulfides, while the individual molecules are held together by much weaker hydrogen bonds. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 Initially, when wafers or dies are pressed together, they are held in place with relatively weak hydrogen bonds, and the concern is whether everything will stay in place during further processing steps. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2024 The hydrogen bonds are more flexible in wet hair and are more susceptible to breakage. Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2024 Those molecules then connect to each other via hydrogen bonds, creating a tessellation of polygons. Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 21 June 2023 Water and salts create a hydrate, a rigid icy lattice supported by hydrogen bonds, in cold temperatures. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 20 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrogen bond was in 1923

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Cite this Entry

“Hydrogen bond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrogen%20bond. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

hydrogen bond

noun
: an electrostatic attraction between a hydrogen atom in one polar molecule (as of water) and a small electronegative atom (as of oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) in usually another molecule of the same or a different polar substance
hydrogen bonding noun

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