photocatalyst

P3H4O1T1O1C3A1T1A1L1Y4S1T1

noun

A substance that absorbs light and, in doing so, catalyzes a reaction.

OriginEnglish catalyst ← Ancient Greek φωτο- (phōto-) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos →
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Meanings

nounphotocatalyst (plural photocatalysts)

plural photocatalysts

  1. chemistryA substance that absorbs light and, in doing so, catalyzes a reaction.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
photocatalyzer

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Englishcatalysis
  9. Englishcatalyst
  10. Englishphotocatalyst

From photo- + catalyst.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French photocatalyseur
  • photocatalyseursubstance that absorbs light and catalyzes a reaction
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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