pyrolysis

[ pahy-rol-uh-sis ]

nounChemistry.
  1. the subjection of organic compounds to very high temperatures.

  2. the resulting decomposition.

Origin of pyrolysis

1
First recorded in 1885–90; pyro- + -lysis

Other words from pyrolysis

  • py·ro·lyt·ic [pahy-ruh-lit-ik], /ˌpaɪ rəˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby pyrolysis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pyrolysis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pyrolysis

pyrolysis

/ (paɪˈrɒlɪsɪs) /


noun
  1. the application of heat to chemical compounds in order to cause decomposition

  2. chemical decomposition of compounds caused by high temperatures

Derived forms of pyrolysis

  • pyrolytic (ˌpaɪrəʊˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012