tridentate

adjective

tri·​den·​tate

(ˈ)trī-¦den-ˌtāt

1

: having three teeth, processes, or points

a tridentate leaf

2

chemistry : attached to the central atom in a coordination complex by three bonds

—used of ligands and chelating groups

Each cage is built from two different tridentate ligands held together with three platinum or palladium ions.

—Chemical & Engineering News, 5 July 1999

compare bidentate, monodentate, polydentate

Word History

Etymology

New Latin tridentatus, from tri- + -dentatus -dentate

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