Library / English Dictionary

REACT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Undergo a chemical reaction; react with another substance under certain conditions

Example:

The hydrogen and the oxygen react

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "react" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "react"):

bromate; brominate (react with bromine)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

reactant (a chemical substance that is present at the start of a chemical reaction)

reaction ((chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others)

reactive (participating readily in reactions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Show a response or a reaction to something

Synonyms:

react; respond

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "react" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "react"):

refuse; reject; resist (resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ)

acknowledge; notice (express recognition of the presence or existence of, or acquaintance with)

marvel; wonder (be amazed at)

accept; consent; go for (give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to)

decline; refuse (show unwillingness towards)

answer (respond to a signal)

accept (react favorably to; consider right and proper)

explode (show a violent emotional reaction)

greet (react to in a certain way)

respond (respond favorably or as hoped)

stool (react to a decoy, of wildfowl)

accept (be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal)

answer (react to a stimulus or command)

overreact (show an exaggerated response to something)

flip; flip out (react in an excited, delighted, or surprised way)

bristle (react in an offended or angry manner)

treat (regard or consider in a specific way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Something ----s to somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

reaction (a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent)

reaction (a response that reveals a person's feelings or attitude)

reactive (reacting to a stimulus)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Act against or in opposition to

Example:

She reacts negatively to everything I say

Synonyms:

oppose; react

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "react" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "react"):

act on; follow up on; pursue (carry further or advance)

buck; go against (resist)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

CDP-choline reacts with diacylglycerol to produce phosphatidylcholine

(Phosphatidylcholine Biosynthesis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

You may still be reacting from a rather difficult episode in a love relationship, brought on by the new moon in Scorpio on October 27 last month.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

His manner, I suppose, reacted on the men, for they behaved to him as if nothing had occurred, as if he were still ship's doctor and they still faithful hands before the mast.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The cells also react to TGF-beta by changing their shapes and secreting proteins that alter neuronal activity.

(Scientists uncover nuclear process in the brain that may affect disease, NIH)

A type of unstable molecule that contains oxygen and that easily reacts with other molecules in a cell.

(Oxygen radical, NCI Dictionary)

Local surface sites on antibodies which react with antigen determinant sites on antigens.

(Antibody Binding Site, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

In the atmosphere of Titan, nitrogen and methane react to produce a wide variety of organic materials.

(Cassini Explores a Methane Sea on Titan, NASA)

The neutrons react with the boron to kill the tumor cells without harming normal cells.

(BNCT, NCI Dictionary)

Bleomycin antibiotics form complexes with iron that react with molecular oxygen to produce superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals, causing single- and double-stranded breaks in DNA.

(Bleomycin Antibiotic, NCI Thesaurus)

When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.

(Asthma, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)