(n.) The degree of combining power of an atom (or radical) as shown by the number of atoms of hydrogen (or of other monads, as chlorine, sodium, etc.) with which it will combine or for which it can be substituted or with which it can be compared; thus, an atom of hydrogen is a monad, and has a valence of one; the atoms of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon are respectively dyads, triads, and tetrads, and have a valence respectively of two, three, and four.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). valence. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/valence/definitions/2078592 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "valence" http://smartdefine.org/valence/definitions/2078592 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
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| MLA | Webster's. "valence" 28 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/valence/definitions/2078592> |