English Lexicon

Pyrolyze

/ˈpaɪ.rə.laɪz/
verbCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #45000 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To subject an organic material to pyrolysis; to undergo chemical decomposition caused by extreme heat in the absence of oxygen.

    "The industrial facility was designed to pyrolyze plastic waste into useful synthetic fuels."
  2. 2

    To break down complex chemical substances through the application of high temperatures.

    "Researchers heated the biomass sample to pyrolyze the cellulose structures efficiently."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Coined in the 20th century, combining the Greek roots 'pyr-' meaning fire and 'lysis' meaning loosening or decomposition, with the verbal suffix '-ize'. It emerged within the fields of chemistry and materials science to describe the specific thermal breakdown of organic materials.

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