racemization

noun

ra·​ce·​mi·​za·​tion rā-ˌsē-mə-ˈzā-shən 

rə-;

ˌra-sə-mə-

: the action or process of changing from an optically active compound into a racemic compound or mixture

racemize

rā-ˈsē-ˌmīz 

rə-;

ˈra-sə-

verb

Examples of racemization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even amino acid racemization, scorned for the last 15 years, is making a comeback, thanks to the discovery that the technique, unreliable when applied to porous bone, is quite accurate when used on hard ostrich eggshells. —James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

In the 1970s a flush of excitement over a technique called amino acid racemization led many workers to believe that another continent--North America--had been occupied by humans fully 70,000 years ago. —James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

racemization

noun

ra·​ce·​mi·​za·​tion

variants also British racemisation

rā-ˌsē-mə-ˈzā-shən  rə-; ˌras-ə-mə- 

: the action or process of changing from an optically active compound into a racemic compound or mixture

racemize verb

also British racemise

rā-ˈsē-ˌmīz  rə-; ˈras-ə- 

racemized also British racemised; racemizing also British racemising