reagent
UK[riːˈeɪdʒənt]US[riˈeɪdʒənt]
n
A substance used to cause a chemical reaction, especially to detect, measure, or produce another substance.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
agent
re
again
agent
acting substance
Etymology
The word "reagent" is a modern scientific compound formed from the Latin prefix re-, meaning "again", and the noun "agent", derived from the Latin verb agere ("to do, act"). An agent is something that acts or produces an effect. In chemical terminology, a reagent is literally a substance that "acts again" or is made to act upon another substance to bring about a reaction. This term elegantly captures the functional role of such substances in laboratory processes, where they are employed repeatedly to test, measure, or transform other materials.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + agent (acting substance)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- agent: Latin origin (from agere, "to do, drive, act"), a noun-forming suffix indicating "one who or that which acts".
Examples
The laboratory test requires a specific reagent to detect the presence of glucose.
Iodine is a common reagent used in starch tests.
Always check the purity and concentration of a chemical reagent before use.