amphoteric

adjective am·pho·ter·ic \ˌam(p)-fə-ˈter-ik\

Definition of AMPHOTERIC

: partly one and partly the other; specifically : capable of reacting chemically either as an acid or as a base

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek amphoteros each of two, from amphō both — more at ambi-

First Known Use: circa 1849

Medical Dictionary

adjective am·pho·ter·ic \ˌam(p)-fə-ˈter-ik\

: partly one and partly the other; specifically : capable of reacting chemically either as an acid or as a base

—am·pho·ter·ism \-ˈter-ˌiz-əm\ noun

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