From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmoleculemol‧e‧cule /ˈmɒlɪkjuːl $ ˈmɑː-/ ●●○ noun [countable] HCthe smallest unit into which any substance can be divided without losing its own chemical nature, usually consisting of two or more atoms The molecules of oxygen gas contain just two atoms. —molecular /məˈlekjələ $ -ər/ adjective molecular structure
Examples from the Corpus
molecule• By supplying addition molecules of chlorine it is possible to replace all the hydrogen atoms.• A steamy surf of spice-bearing molecules pumped out from the pots on the stove.• It can replicate because the specificity of base pairing ensures that the daughter molecules are identical to the original one.• But ethanol molecules, because they are so small and stable, are immune to acidic destruction.• Both equations are valid for molecules smaller than when the angular scattering is symmetrical.• Directly ahead you see a huge, globular molecule the size of a two-car garage.• a nitrogen molecule• Other molecules, the happens, also generate an immune response.• The alternative conformation extends away from the molecule, stabilized by crystal contacts.Origin molecule (1700-1800) French molécule, from Latin moles “mass” 