catalystcat‧a‧lyst /ˈkætl-ɪst/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.—catalytic /ˌkætlˈɪtɪk◂/ adjective
WORD ORIGINcatalyst
Origin:
1900-2000 catalysis, on the model of analystEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But low hydrogen yields and poisoned catalysts soon had these systems grinding to a halt.
- Forbes, speaking by telephone, promoted his flat tax plan as a catalyst for economic good times.
- It would usually start with three or four of the top players serving as catalysts.
- John was a catalyst who gave them the exposure.
- That training was the catalyst bringing together many of the negative elements of the law as practiced today.
- The catalyst for her new ensemble was undoubtedly her 1987 marriage to her fellow troubadour Mr David Stewart.
- The town acts as a catalyst for social development producing new cultural orientations among its residents.
WORD SETS
acetate, nounacid, nounacidic, adjectiveacidify, verbactive, adjectiveadditive, nounagent, nounalchemy, nounalcohol, nounalkali, nounalkaline, adjectiveamalgam, nounantioxidant, noun-ate, suffixatomic number, nounbase, nounbauxite, nounbeaker, nounbenzene, nounbiochemistry, nounbitumen, nounbleach, nounbond, nounbonding, nouncalcify, verbcarbohydrate, nouncarbonate, nouncarbon dioxide, nouncarbonize, verbcatalyst, nouncaustic, adjectivechain reaction, nounchemical, nounchemical, adjectivechemical reaction, nounchemist, nounchemistry, nounchlorinate, verbcitric acid, nouncombustion, nounconcentration, nouncondense, verbcontaminant, nouncontaminate, verbcontaminated, adjectivecorrode, verbcorrosion, nouncorrosive, adjectivecrucible, nouncrystal, nouncrystallize, verbcyanide, nounDDT, noundecay, verbdecay, noundecompose, verbdegrade, verbderive, verbdetoxification, noundextrose, noundioxin, noundispersion, noundissolve, verbdistill, verbeffervesce, verbeffervescent, adjectiveelectrolysis, nounelectrolyte, nounelectroplate, verbemulsify, verbemulsion, nounenzyme, nounexpand, verbfatty acid, nounferment, verbferment, nounflashback, nounflask, nounformaldehyde, nounformula, nounfructose, nounfungicide, nounfuse, verbgas, noungaseous, adjectiveglucose, noungranular, adjectivegraphite, nounhallucinogen, nounhelium, nounherbicide, nounhydrate, nouninert, adjectiveinsoluble, adjectiveinsulin, nounion, nounionize, verblactic acid, nounlimescale, nounlitmus, nounlitmus paper, nounlitmus test, nounmethane, nounmixture, nounmolecule, nounneon, nounnerve gas, nounneutralize, verbneutron, nounnitric acid, nounnucleic acid, nounnucleus, nounnutrient, nounorganic chemistry, nounosmosis, nounoxidize, verboxyacetylene, nounoxygenate, verbozone, nounpart, nounpectin, nounpesticide, nounpestle, nounpetrochemical, nounpH, nounphotosynthesis, nounplasma, nounpolyunsaturated, adjectivepotash, nounprecipitate, verbprecipitate, nounprecipitation, nounproduct, nounprussic acid, nounquicklime, nounradioactive, adjectiveradioactivity, nounradiology, nounreact, verbreaction, nounreactive, adjectivereagent, nounresidue, nounretort, nounriboflavin, nounsalt, nounsaltpetre, nounsaturate, verbsaturated, adjectivesaturation, nounsaturation point, nounsemiconductor, nounsoft, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolvent, nounstability, nounstabilizer, nounstable, adjectivestarch, nounsteam, nounsucrose, nounsulphate, nounsulphide, nounsulphur, nounsulphur dioxide, nounsulphuric acid, nounsulphurous, adjectivesurface tension, nounsuspension, nounsynthesize, verbsynthetic, adjectivetannin, nountartaric acid, nounTNT, noununstable, adjectivevalence, nounvitamin, nounvolatile, adjectivevulcanize, verbwater softener, nounwater-soluble, adjectivewater vapour, nounwetting agent, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
1 technical a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen more quickly without being changed itself2something or someone that causes an important change or event to happencatalyst for They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.· Such evidence may also act as a catalyst for improving the methods by which meta-analyses are conducted.· They act as a catalyst for a company and help it to focus on a higher level of performance.· As its name suggests, the dual perspective argues that rights and movements actually encourage each other, acting as mutual catalysts.· The developer or his land buyer should act as the catalyst in such situations.· It also acted as the catalyst to form fossil fuels from tiny animals millions of years ago.
· To have lost the 1987 election could be forgiven; it provided the final catalyst for Labour's long-drawn out policy reform.
· It served as a catalyst which greatly accelerated the pace of change within the Empire.· The meeting with Katherine Fisher earlier in the week had served as a catalyst.· Though these institutions may have fundamentally disagreed on tactics, both served as catalysts for black political and economic aspirations.· The primary responsibility of the federal government was to serve as a catalyst for local initiative.· Recent history shows that a determined minority can serve as a catalyst for change.· It would usually start with three or four of the top players serving as catalysts.
· A number of chemists had experimented with the polymerisation of ethylene using catalysts.
They hope his election will act as a catalyst for reform.—catalytic /ˌkætlˈɪtɪk◂/ adjective