alpha-lactam

noun

A lactam having a three-membered ring structure.

OriginEnglish lactam ← Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ← Latin ammoniacus →
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Meanings

nounalpha-lactam (plural alpha-lactams)

plural alpha-lactams

  1. chemistryA lactam having a three-membered ring structure.

Origin

  1. Proto-Semitic*ʔalp-
  2. Phoenician𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
  3. Ancient Greekἄλφα (álpha)
  4. Englishalpha
  5. Latinlac
  6. Englishlacto-
  7. GermanKeton
  8. Englishketone
  9. Englishlac(tone)
  10. Egyptianjmn
  11. Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
  12. LatinAmmōn
  13. Latinammoniacus
  14. Englishammonia
  15. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  16. Englisham(ide)
  17. Englishlactam
  18. Englishalpha-lactam

From alpha + lactam.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

alpha-lactam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-lactam

MLA

“alpha-lactam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-lactam. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alpha-lactam,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha-lactam.

Source: alpha-lactam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.