Catalysis

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Catalysis \Ca*tal"y*sis\, n.; pl. {Catalyse}.[ML., fr. Gr. ?
     dissolution, fr. ? to destroy, dissolve; kata` down, wholly +
     ? to loose.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Dissolution; degeneration; decay. [R.]
        [1913 Webster]


  
              Sad catalysis and declension of piety. --Evelyn.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.)
        (a) A process by which a chemical reaction is accelerated
            in the presence of certain agents which were formerly
            believed to exert an influence by mere contact. It is
            now believed that such reactions are attended with the
            formation of an intermediate compound or compounds, so
            that by alternate composition and decomposition the
            agent is apparenty left unchanged; as, the catalysis
            of making ether from alcohol by means of sulphuric
            acid; or catalysis in the action of enzymes (as
            diastase, or ptyalin) on starch.
        (b) The catalytic force.
            [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  catalysis
       n : acceleration of a chemical reaction induced the presence of
           material that is chemically unchanged at the end of the
           reaction; "of the top 50 commodity chemicals, 30 are
           created directly by catalysis and another 6 are made from
           raw materials that are catalytically produced" [syn: {contact
           action}]
       [also: {catalyses} (pl)]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  63 Moby Thesaurus words for "catalysis":
     acetification, acidification, acidulation, alkalization, avatar,
     carbonation, catabolism, catalyst, chemicalization,
     consubstantiation, decay, dialysis, displacement, dissociation,
     electrolysis, ferment, fermentation, fission, heterotopia,
     hydrogenation, hydrolysis, hydrolyst, isomerism, metabolism,
     metagenesis, metamerism, metamerization, metamorphism,
     metamorphosis, metastasis, metathesis, metempsychosis, mutant,
     mutated form, mutation, nitration, oxidation, oxidization,
     permutation, phosphatization, photolysis, polymerism,
     polymerization, position isomerism, reduction, reincarnation,
     saturization, splitting, sport, thermolysis, transanimation,
     transfiguration, transfigurement, transformation, transformism,
     translation, translocation, transmigration, transmogrification,
     transmutation, transposition, transubstantiation, working