I. ˈkēˌlāt adjective
Etymology: New Latin chela (I) + English -ate
1. : like or having chelae
2.
[Greek chēlē hoof, claw + English -ate ]
a. : relating to, producing, or characterized by a cyclic structure usually containing five or six atoms in a ring in which a central metallic ion (as bivalent copper or bivalent or trivalent iron) is held in a coordination complex by one or more groups (as citrate or ethylenediamine) each of which can attach itself to the central ion by at least two bonds
a chelate ring
chlorophyll and hemoglobin are chelate compounds
b. : relating to or characterized by a cyclic structure (as of the ring formed by salicylaldehyde) resulting from the formation of a hydrogen bond
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to combine with (a metal) so as to form a chelate ring or rings — compare sequester
intransitive verb
: to react so as to form a chelate ring or rings
III. noun
( -s )
: a compound formed by chelation : a chelate compound