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reaction
re·ac·tion / rēˈakshən/ • n. an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event: Carrie's immediate reaction was one of relief. ∎ (reactions) a person's ability to respond physically and mentally to external stimuli: a skilled driver with quick reactions. ∎ an adverse physiological response to a substance that has been breathed in, ingested, or touched: such allergic reactions as hay fever and asthma. ∎ a chemical process in which two or more substances act mutually on each other and are changed into different substances, or one substance changes into two or more other substances. ∎ Physics an analogous transformation of atomic nuclei or other particles. ∎ a mode of thinking or behaving that is deliberately different from previous modes of thought and behavior: the work of these painters was a reaction against fauvism. ∎ opposition to political or social progress or reform: the institution is under threat from the forces of reaction. ∎ Physics repulsion or resistance exerted in opposition to the impact or pressure of another body; a force equal and opposite to the force giving rise to it. DERIVATIVES: re·ac·tion·ist / -nist/ n. & adj. |
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Cite this article
"reaction." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "reaction." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-reaction.html "reaction." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-reaction.html |
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reaction
reaction
1. (pedol.) The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a soil, expressed as a value on the pH scale. See also ACID SOIL and ALKALINE SOIL. 2. (ecol.) In plant succession, the ability of an individual plant species or vegetation community to modify the physical environment and so favour further successional development. For example, the presence of the first colonizing plants in a hydrosere will tend to reduce water movement, favouring accelerated silting and so paving the way for plants typical of shallower water to arrive as new colonizers. |
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-reaction.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-reaction.html |
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reaction
reaction
1. (pedol.) The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a soil, expressed as a value on the pH scale. See also acid soil and alkaline soil. 2. (ecol.) In plant succession, the ability of an individual plant species or vegetation community to modify the physical environment and so favour further successional development. For example, the presence of the first colonizing plants in a hydrosere will tend to reduce water movement, favouring accelerated silting and so paving the way for plants typical of shallower water to arrive as new colonizers. |
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-reaction.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "reaction." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-reaction.html |
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reaction
reaction (ri-ak-shŏn) n.
1. the response to a stimulus. 2. the interaction of two or more substances that results in chemical changes in them. 3. the effect produced by an allergen (see allergy). |
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"reaction." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "reaction." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-reaction.html "reaction." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-reaction.html |
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reaction
reaction See chemical reaction.
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Cite this article
"reaction." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "reaction." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-reaction.html "reaction." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-reaction.html |
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