Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - chemical

(chemicals) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Chemical means involving or resulting from a reaction between two or more substances, or relating to the substances that something consists of. ...chemical reactions that cause ozone destruction. ...the chemical composition of the ocean. ...chemical weapons. ADJ: ADJ n • chemically ...chemically treated foods... The medicine chemically affects your physiology. ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj 2. Chemicals are substances that are used in a chemical process or made by a chemical process. The whole food chain is affected by the over-use of chemicals in agriculture. ...the chemical industry. N-COUNT: usu pl