hydrogen bond

noun

A weak bond in which a hydrogen atom in one molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom (usually nitrogen or oxygen) in the same or different molecule.

Meanings

nounhydrogen bond (plural hydrogen bonds)

plural hydrogen bonds

  1. physicalchemistryA weak bond in which a hydrogen atom in one molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom (usually nitrogen or oxygen) in the same or different molecule.
verbhydrogen bond (third-person singular simple present hydrogen bonds, present participle hydrogen bonding, simple past and past participle hydrogen bonded)

present singular third person hydrogen bonds · participle present hydrogen bonding · participle past hydrogen bonded · past hydrogen bonded

  1. physicalchemistryTo bond to another species by means of hydrogen bonds. E.g. Water hydrogen bonds with itself.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 氫鍵 /氢键
  • 氫鍵 /氢键 (qīngjiàn)weak bond
Czech vodíkový můstek
  • vodíkový můstekweak bond
Finnish vetysidos
  • vetysidosweak bond
Hindi उदजन बंध
  • उदजन बंध (udjan bandh)weak bond
Hungarian hidrogénkötés
  • hidrogénkötésweak bond
Icelandic vetnistengi, vatnsefnistengi
  • vetnistengiweak bond
  • vatnsefnistengiweak bond
  • vetnistengslweak bond
Japanese 水素結合
  • 水素結合 (suiso ketsugō)weak bond
Korean 수소결합
  • 수소결합 (susogyeolhap)weak bond
Malay ikatan hidrogen
  • ikatan hidrogenweak bond
Polish wiązanie wodorowe, mostek wodorowy
  • wiązanie wodoroweweak bond
  • mostek wodorowyweak bond
Portuguese ponte de hidrogénio, ponte de hidrogênio
  • ponte de hidrogénioweak bond
  • ponte de hidrogênioweak bond
Romanian legătură de hidrogen
  • legătură de hidrogenweak bond
Swedish vätebindning
  • vätebindningweak bond
Cite this entry
APA

hydrogen bond. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogen%20bond

MLA

“hydrogen bond.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogen%20bond. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydrogen bond,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogen%20bond.

Source: hydrogen bond on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.