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Borrowed from Frenchoxygène (originally in the form principe oxygène, a variant of principe oxigine ‘acidifying principle’, suggested by Lavoisier), from Ancient Greekὀξύς(oxús, “sharp”) + γένος(génos, “birth”), referring to oxygen's supposed role in the formation of acids. By surface analysis, oxy- + -gen.
Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light.
(medicine) A mixture of oxygen and other gases, administered to a patient to help them breathe.
2013, Spencer L. Seager, Michael R. Slabaugh, Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry, page 479:
Look first at any structure to see if there is a carbon with two oxygens attached. Hemiacetals, hemiketals, acetals, and ketals are all alike in that regard.
(figurative) A condition or environment in which something can thrive.
Silence is the oxygen of shame.
They hoped to starve the terrorists of the oxygen of publicity.
2025 June 2, Adrian Horton, “Tech-bro satire Mountainhead is an insufferable disappointment”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
. I found myself longing for more than two minutes with the girlfriend, the ex-wife, the assistant, the board member, let alone one of the many staff at the house – anyone to de-center a perspective that has already claimed far too much oxygen in the public sphere.
När pandemin tog fart våren 2020 var Region Västmanlands beredskap god när det gäller medicinska gaser som syrgas (oxygen). Redan i april 2020 fanns en extra tank flytande oxygen på plats på sjukhusområdet i Västerås och man klarar i dag Socialstyrelsens skärpta krav.
When the pandemic gained momentum in the spring of 2020, Region Västmanland's preparedness was good concerning medical gases like oxygen. Already in April 2020, there was an additional tank of liquid oxygen in place at the hospital area in Västerås, and today they meet the stricter requirements set by the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Usage notes
The term oxygen is rarely used; it primarily appears on gas tubes and canisters for international standardization, as well as a safety precaution to minimize the risk of confusing syre(“oxygen”) with syra(“acid”).