Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having the characteristics of an acid and a base and capable of reacting chemically either as an acid or a base.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Partly the one and partly the other; neutral.
  • In chem., capable, in different reactions, of exhibiting both acid and basic character, as, for example, glycoeoll or amidoacetic acid.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective rare Partly one and partly the other; neither acid nor alkaline; neutral.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective chemistry Having the characteristics of both an acid and a base, and capable of reacting as either; amphiprotic.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having characteristics of both an acid and a base and capable of reacting as either

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Greek amphoteros, each of two, from amphō, both.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἀμφότερος ("each of two"), from ἄμφω ("both").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word amphoteric.

Examples

  • Turns out the official Wikipedia answer is that it is an amphoteric compound reacting with both acids and bases and aqueous solutions are mildly alkaline.

    A Short Timeline Of My First Ten Years, Round Two 2009

  • There are four types of detergents: anionic, nonionic, cationic, and amphoteric.

    HOME COMFORTS CHERYL MENDELSON 2005

  • There are four types of detergents: anionic, nonionic, cationic, and amphoteric.

    HOME COMFORTS CHERYL MENDELSON 2005

  • There are four types of detergents: anionic, nonionic, cationic, and amphoteric.

    HOME COMFORTS CHERYL MENDELSON 2005

  • There are four types of detergents: anionic, nonionic, cationic, and amphoteric.

    HOME COMFORTS CHERYL MENDELSON 2005

  • Other words for stabilizer are: amphoteric, neutral or intermediate oxide.

    5. Simple glaze theory 1993

  • Announced that the Canadian Patent Office issued a Notice of Allowance for patent application 2,438,116 with claims that broadly cover amphoteric liposomal formulations SMARTICLES ® and their use for the delivery of nucleic acids and other compounds with therapeutic application;

    unknown title 2011

  • Baking soda is an amphoteric, which basically means that it's a neutralizer because it reacts with both acids and bases.

    The Dollar Stretcher Featured Content 2010

  • Baking soda is an amphoteric, which basically means that it's a neutralizer because it reacts with both acids and bases.

    The Dollar Stretcher Featured Content 2010

  • Surfactants, the active ingredients in wetter-spreader adjuvant, are further categorized as non-ionic, cationic, anionic, or amphoteric surfactants.

    Western Farm Press RSS Feed 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • both/and

    July 5, 2010

  • JM assumes amphoteric folk are neither here nor there.

    August 13, 2010

  • M-W lists specifically in def.

    March 10, 2011

  • There once was a sycophant, Eric,

    Obligingly calm or hysteric.

    He'd quickly adapt

    To whatever was apt.

    His nature was quite amphoteric.

    He'd mime, if need be, courtly grace,

    But gossip in ways truly base.

    His manner was placid

    Or dripping with acid

    As suited his welfare's best case.

    March 4, 2017