Other forms: reductions
In chemistry a reduction is the opposite of oxidation, a gain of electrons. A reduction reaction, reduction of the metal ore, oxidation and reduction.
The name is confusing until you know it came from smelting: reducing an ore reduced its weight, and only later was the process understood as a gain of electrons. Oil rig is the standard mnemonic — oxidation is loss, reduction is gain.
1nounreductionA gain of electrons, the opposite of oxidation.
“In the blast furnace, iron oxide undergoes reduction and turns into pure iron.”
2nounmakingA making smaller.
“The shop is offering a big reduction on winter coats.”
reduction is a chemical change.
Latin reductio comes from reducere, to lead back — re- plus ducere, to lead. The chemical sense came from the loss of weight in smelting ore.
Proto-Indo-European
*dewk-
Latin
reductio
Old French
reducion
Middle English
reduccion
English, today
reduction
From Middle English reduccion, a borrowing from Old French reducion, from Latin reductio. Equivalent to reduce + tion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA