noun
- Plural of protoxid; compounds formed by the combination of an element with the smallest proportion of oxygen, or the lowest oxide of an element.
Usage: chemistry; archaic or technical term; largely superseded by modern nomenclature (e.g., 'monoxides')
Examples
- In older chemistry texts, protoxids referred to the simplest oxides formed by elements.
- The chemist studied various protoxids to understand oxidation states.
- Protoxids were classified based on their oxygen content relative to other oxides of the same element.