oxygen
noun
ox·y·gen
ˈäk-si-jən 
1
: a chemical element with atomic number 8 that constitutes 21 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, that is capable of combining with all elements except some noble gases, that is active in physiological processes of almost all known organisms, and that is involved especially in combustion
—often used before another noun
oxygen tanks
an oxygen mask
see Chemical Elements Table
2
: something that sustains or fuels
Disagreement is the true oxygen of these magazines …—
Joseph Epstein
Joseph EpsteinExamples of oxygen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Iron is needed for growth, development, and transportation of oxygen to different parts of the body.
—Rachel Swalin, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
Heart Rate And Exercise Intensity The gold standard for determining aerobic exercise intensity is to measure the amount of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide exhaled.
—Jason Sawyer, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide and said it was caused by a lack of oxygen during the physical restraint.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
This is done by placing a small device on your finger to estimate the percentage of oxygen in your blood.
—Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024
The ongoing oxygen deprivation can lead to a host of serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and arrhythmias, a disruption in heart rhythm that can lead to sudden death, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Staff with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have also determined that temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were not responsible for the deaths.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The venting system is another shining point—the vent in the front provides oxygen for the fire without opening the lid, and the vent on the top lets smoke escape while feeding the fire.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
The mother of four died days later at Good Samaritan Hospital, unable to recover from the loss of oxygen to her brain.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Rachel Swalin, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
Heart Rate And Exercise Intensity The gold standard for determining aerobic exercise intensity is to measure the amount of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide exhaled.
—Jason Sawyer, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide and said it was caused by a lack of oxygen during the physical restraint.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
This is done by placing a small device on your finger to estimate the percentage of oxygen in your blood.
—Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024
The ongoing oxygen deprivation can lead to a host of serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and arrhythmias, a disruption in heart rhythm that can lead to sudden death, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Staff with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have also determined that temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were not responsible for the deaths.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The venting system is another shining point—the vent in the front provides oxygen for the fire without opening the lid, and the vent on the top lets smoke escape while feeding the fire.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
The mother of four died days later at Good Samaritan Hospital, unable to recover from the loss of oxygen to her brain.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oxygen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near oxygen
Cite this Entry
“Oxygen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxygen. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oxygen
noun
ox·y·gen
ˈäk-si-jən
: a reactive element that is found in water, rocks, and free as a colorless tasteless odorless gas which forms about 21 percent of the atmosphere, that is capable of combining with almost all elements, and that is necessary for life see element
Etymology
from French oxygène "oxygen," literally, "acid producer," from oxy- "sharp, acid" (from Greek oxys "sharp, sour") and -gène "one that produces or generates" (from Greek -genēs "born, generated")
Word Origin
Oxygen was discovered by two scientists working independently, Joseph Priestley of England and Carl Scheele of Sweden. However, it was the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier who later gave the gas its name. He said the most common characteristic of this element was its ability to combine with other substances to form acids. For this reason Lavoisier named it oxygène, literally meaning "acid producer." The origin of his word was two Greek elements, oxys, meaning "sharp, sour," and -genēs, meaning "born, generated."
Medical Definition
oxygen
noun
ox·y·gen
ˈäk-si-jən
: a colorless tasteless odorless gaseous element that constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere and is found in water, in most rocks and minerals, and in numerous organic compounds, that is capable of combining with all elements except the inert gases, that is active in physiological processes, and that is involved especially in combustion processes
—symbol O
see Chemical Elements Table
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