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valence1

Syllabification: (va·lence)
Pronunciation: /ˈvāləns/
Definition of valence

noun

Chemistry
  • the combining power of an element, especially as measured by the number of hydrogen atoms it can displace or combine with:carbon always has a valence of 4
  • [as modifier] relating to or denoting electrons involved in or available for chemical bond formation:molecules with unpaired valence electrons
  • Linguistics the number of grammatical elements with which a particular word, especially a verb, combines in a sentence.

Origin:

late Middle English: from late Latin valentia 'power, competence', from valere 'be well or strong'

valence in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of valence in the British & World English dictionary

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