oligodynamic

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adjective

That is active in small quantities; used especially to describe the sterilizing effect of some heavy metals against bacteria

OriginEnglish dynamic ← French dynamique ← Ancient Greek δυναμικός (dunamikós) →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

adjectiveoligodynamic (comparative more oligodynamic, superlative most oligodynamic)

comparative more oligodynamic · superlative most oligodynamic

  1. That is active in small quantities; used especially to describe the sterilizing effect of some heavy metals against bacteria

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὀλῐ́γος (olĭ́gos)
  2. Englisholigo-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*dewh₂-
  4. Proto-Hellenic*dunamai
  5. Ancient Greekδῠ́νᾰμαι (dŭ́nămai)
  6. Ancient Greekδύναμις (dúnamis)
  7. Ancient Greekδυναμικός (dunamikós)
  8. Frenchdynamique
  9. Englishdynamic
  10. Englisholigodynamic

From oligo- + dynamic.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: oligodynamic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.