English Dictionary

REACTIVE

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IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does reactive mean? 

REACTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective REACTIVE has 2 senses:

1. participating readily in reactionsplay

2. reacting to a stimulusplay

  Familiarity information: REACTIVE used as an adjective is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


REACTIVE (adjective)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Participating readily in reactions

Context example:

free radicals are very reactive

Similar:

activated; excited ((of e.g. a molecule) made reactive or more reactive)

labile ((chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown)

oxidizable (capable of undergoing a chemical reaction with oxygen)

thermolabile ((chemistry, physics, biology) readily changed or destroyed by heat)

unstable (highly or violently reactive)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Antonym:

unreactive ((chemistry) not reacting chemically)

Derivation:

react (undergo a chemical reaction; react with another substance under certain conditions)

reactivity (ready susceptibility to chemical change)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Reacting to a stimulus

Synonyms:

reactive; responsive

Context example:

the skin of old persons is less reactive than that of younger persons

Similar:

sensitive (responsive to physical stimuli)

Derivation:

react (show a response or a reaction to something)

reactivity (responsive to stimulation)


 Context examples 


Reactive or functioning or allowing movement in two usually opposite directions.

(Bidirectional, NCI Thesaurus)

They found that LPL treatment generated a type of molecule known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).

(Laser Therapy Prompts Regeneration in Teeth, NIH)

It needs a lot of energy to form and is very reactive, which means its lifetime is very short and it can’t be transported far.

(ALMA Finds Huge Hidden Reservoirs of Turbulent Gas in Distant Galaxies, ESO)

These tumor-reactive T-cells may stimulate a host immune response against tumor cells expressing the MART-1 antigen, resulting in tumor cell lysis.

(Autologous IL-21-Modulated CD8+ MART1-Specific T Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

This results in cultured AML-reactive CTLs which are administered back into the patient after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT).

(Autologous Cultured Acute Myeloid Leukemia-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, NCI Thesaurus)

This may lead to mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.

(Anti-HLA-DR Monoclonal Antibody IMMU-114, NCI Thesaurus)

A population of allogeneic cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) specifically reactive to human adenovirus (Ad) with potential immunomodulating and anti-adenoviral activities.

(Allogeneic Adenovirus-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, NCI Thesaurus)

A reactive metaplastic change in the urinary tract epithelium.

(Nephrogenic Metaplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

Reactive cause for increased numbers of nonlymphoid hematopoietic cells should be considered.

(Mouse Myeloid Proliferation, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

This agent also induces apoptosis by a mechanism involving reactive oxygen species.

(NM-3, NCI Thesaurus)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"New brooms sweep clear." (English proverb)

"Sing your death song and die like a hero going home." (Native American proverb, Shawnee)

"Not only can water float a craft, it can sink it also." (Chinese proverb)

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." (Danish proverb)



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