quadrivalent

Q10U1A1D2R1I1V4A1L1E1N1T1
/kwɒdrɪˈveɪlənt/

adjective

Having a valence of four.

Scrabble 25

Meanings

adjectivequadrivalent (not comparable)
  1. not comparablechemistryHaving a valence of four.
  2. not comparablemedicineProtecting against four different (usually influenza) viruses.
  3. not comparablegraph theoryHaving all of its vertices of degree four.

    In graph theory terms, a regular projection of a knot, or knot diagram is thus a quadrivalent planar graph with over/under-decorated vertices.

    2020 January 3, Wikipedia contributors, “Knot (mathematics)”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation
nounquadrivalent (plural quadrivalents)

plural quadrivalents

  1. biologyAny quadrivalent chromosome

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwóres
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwr̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*kʷetru-
  4. Latinquadri-
  5. Englishquadri-
  6. Englishquadrivalent

From quadri- + -valent.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

quadrivalent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadrivalent

MLA

“quadrivalent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadrivalent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quadrivalent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadrivalent.

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