Ox"ide (?), n. [F.
oxygène oxygen + acide acid: cf. F.
oxyde. The French word was correctly spelt oxide, till
about the year 1840, when, in ignorance or forgetfulness of the true
history and composition of the word, the orthography was change to
make it represent the υ of Gr. 'oxy`s, from
which it was supposed to be directly derived.] (Chem.) A
binary compound of oxygen with an atom or radical, or a compound
which is regarded as binary; as, iron oxide, ethyl
oxide, nitrogen oxide, etc.
&fist; In the chemical nomenclature adopted by Guyton de Morveau,
Lavoisier,and their associates, the term oxides was made to
include all compounds of oxygen which had no acid (F.
acide) properties, as contrasted with the acids, all of which
were at that time supposed to contain oxygen. The orthography
oxyde, oxyd, etc., was afterwards introduced in
ignorance or disregard of the true etymology, but these forms are now
obsolete in English. The spelling oxid is not common.
