What does "epoxide" mean?

Any of a class of organic compound, cyclic ethers, having a three-membered ring; they are prepared by the selective oxidation of alkenes or by ring-closure of halohydrins; used to make plastics.

What is a synonym for "epoxide"?

Common synonyms include: alkylene oxide, alkylene oxide, oxacyclopropane.

Epoxide

//ˈipɑksaɪd// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
Any of a class of organic compound, cyclic ethers, having a three-membered ring; they are prepared by the selective oxidation of alkenes or by ring-closure of halohydrins; used to make plastics.
2
Any similar compound in which an ether linkage has been made across a larger ring.

Synonyms

All synonyms

alkylene oxide alkylene oxide oxacyclopropane

Etymology

From ep- + oxy.

Related phrases

arene epoxide ethylene oxide

More for "epoxide"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.