rapid-reactionadj.
/ˌrapɪdrɪˈakʃn/, U.S. /ˌræpədriˈækʃ(ə)n/ 1. Chemistry. Of, relating to, or involving a rapid chemical reaction.
ΚΠ
1932 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 111 18 There were no appreciable gradients of dissolved gas in the fluid surrounding the corpuscles during the actual uptake of dissolved gas by the corpuscles in the rapid reaction apparatus.
1962 Times 9 Mar. 2/6 (advt.) The reversible hydration of heterocyclic substances (by rapid-reaction techniques).
2000 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 14180 To explore the idea that the acetate-adduct was..not the product of a slower side reaction, a rapid-reaction single turnover experiment was performed.
2. Military. Designating a military unit kept in a state of readiness for rapid deployment to counter hostile activity. Also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > group with special function or duty > [adjective] > organized for rapid movement
volant1548
running1592
velitary1600
expedite1609
flying1665
mobile1879
quick-reaction1961
rapid deployment1967
rapid-reaction1968
1968 Times 15 Nov. 1/2 The United States is to earmark for Europe a ‘rapid reaction’ airborne force.
1979 U.S. News & World Rep. 9 July 16/2 (heading) Announcement of an Army plan for a rapid-reaction force of 110,000 troops to deal with crises in distant areas, particularly in the Persian Gulf.
1997 Face Apr. 114/2 A rapid-reaction drugs armoury of Tory rentaquotes..emerged, never more than a phone-call away from newsrooms when the next Ecstasy story broke.
1999 Financial Times 1 Nov. 10/4 Where we can make only limited progress in 2000 is in..transforming the Euro-corps [the Franco-German brigade, founded in 1988] into a rapid reaction corps.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1932