English word -ous comes from Middle English -ous
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| -ous | Middle English (enm) | |
| -ous | English (eng) | (chemistry) Used in chemical nomenclature to name chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a lower oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ic. For example sulphuric acid (H2SO4) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H2SO3). See Inorganic nomenclature.. Used to form adjectives from nouns, to denote possession or [...] |