molecular sieve
noun Chemistry.
a compound with molecule-size pores, as some sodium aluminum silicates, that chemically locks molecules in them: used in purification and separation processes.
Origin of molecular sieve
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby molecular sieve
British Dictionary definitions for molecular sieve
molecular sieve
noun
chem
a material that can absorb large amounts of certain compounds while not absorbing others and is thus suitable for use in separating mixtures