covalence

[ koh-vey-luh ns ]
/ koʊˈveɪ ləns /

noun Chemistry.

the number of electron pairs that an atom can share with other atoms.

Origin of covalence

First recorded in 1915–20; co- + valence

OTHER WORDS FROM covalence

co·va·lent, adjective co·va·lent·ly, adverb

Words nearby covalence

couvert, couzin, coué, couéism, cov, covalence, covalency, covalent, covalent bond, covariance, covariant

Example sentences from the Web for covalent

  • "The covalent bonds… are so strong that you can't break them down by heat," explained Dufresne.

    Home Ec at Harvard |Laura Colarusso |December 6, 2010 |DAILY BEAST

Medical definitions for covalent

covalent
[ kō-vā′lənt ]

adj.

Of or relating to a chemical bond characterized by one or more pairs of shared electrons.