photodetachment

P3H4O1T1O1D2E1T1A1C3H4M3E1N1T1

noun

The absorption of a photon and subsequent elimination of an electron from an anion to form a neutral species.

OriginEnglish detachment ← Ancient Greek φωτο- (phōto-) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos →
Scrabble 28
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounphotodetachment (countable and uncountable, plural photodetachments)

plural photodetachments

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe absorption of a photon and subsequent elimination of an electron from an anion to form a neutral species.

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. Englishdetachment
  9. Englishphotodetachment

From photo- + detachment.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“photodetachment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photodetachment. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photodetachment,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photodetachment.

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