ligandnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈlɪɡ.ənd//ˈlɪɡ.ənd/specializedchemistry an ion (= an atom or small group of atoms that has an electrical charge) or a molecule (= the simplest unit of a chemical substance) that is attached to a metal atom
biology a molecule (= the simplest unit of a chemical substance) that is attached to another molecule