Standard Lemma guide

racemate

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹæsɪmeɪt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹeɪ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɹæsəˌmeɪt/
  • General-American: /ˈɹeɪ-/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹeɪsmeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɹeɪsˌmeɪt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mixture which is racemic (“containing equal amounts of dextrorotatory and levorotatory stereoisomers and therefore not optically active”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any salt or ester of racemic acid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

One participating in the same race as others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, hobbies, lifestyle, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person of the same racial group as others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From racem(ic) + -ate.

From racemic acid + -ate (“salt or ester”).

From race (“contest where the goal is to be the first to reach some objective”) + -mate (suffix forming nouns having the sense of ‘those with whom what is denoted by the nouns are shared’).

From race (“group of people distinguished from others on the basis of a common heritage or physical characteristics”) + -mate (suffix forming nouns having the sense of ‘those with whom what is denoted by the nouns are shared’).

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese: 外消旋化合物 (wàixiāoxuán huàhéwù) — mixture which is racemic
  • Chinese: 外消旋混合物 (wàixiāoxuán hùnhéwù) — mixture which is racemic
  • Chinese: 外消旋體 /外消旋体 (wàixiāoxuántǐ) — mixture which is racemic
  • Finnish: raseeminen seos — mixture which is racemic
  • German: Razemat — mixture which is racemic
  • Italian: racemato — mixture which is racemic
  • Italian: racemo — mixture which is racemic
  • Polish: mieszanina racemiczna — mixture which is racemic
  • Polish: racemat — mixture which is racemic
  • Spanish: mezcla racémica — mixture which is racemic
  • Finnish: raseeminen esteri (ester) — salt or ester of racemic acid
  • Finnish: raseeminen suola — salt or ester of racemic acid
  • Finnish: kisakumppani — one participating in the same race as others
  • Finnish: rotukumppani — person of the same racial group as others