S: (n) chemistry (the chemical composition and properties of a substance or object) "the chemistry of soil"
S: (n) material, stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object) "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
S: (n) phlogiston (a hypothetical substance once believed to be present in all combustible materials and to be released during burning)
S: (n) mixture ((chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding))
S: (n) atom ((physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element)
S: (n) chemical element, element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)
S: (n) activator ((biology) any agency bringing about activation; a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription)
S: (n) substrate (the substance that is acted upon by an enzyme or ferment)
S: (n) element (one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe) "the alchemists believed that there were four elements"
S: (n) medium (an intervening substance through which something is achieved) "the dissolving medium is called a solvent"
S: (n) medium ((biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed)
S: (n) fluid (a substance that is fluid at room temperature and pressure)
S: (n) volatile (a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor) "it was heated to evaporate the volatiles"
S: (n) essence (any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted)
W: (adj) volatile [Related to: volatile] (evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures) "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents"
Adjective
S: (adj) volatile (evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures) "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents"
S: (adj) explosive, volatile (liable to lead to sudden change or violence) "an explosive issue"; "a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation"
S: (adj) unstable (lacking stability or fixity or firmness) "unstable political conditions"; "the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"; "an unstable world economy"
W: (adj) stable [Opposed to: unstable] (resistant to change of position or condition) "a stable ladder"; "a stable peace"; "a stable relationship"; "stable prices"