unionize

Verb (1)

unionize (third-person singular simple present unionizes, present participle unionizing, simple past and past participle unionized)

1. (ambitransitive) To organize workers into a trade union.
   • The company laid off all the workers when they tried to unionize.
   • My uncle got roughed up by some corporate thugs after they caught him trying to unionize their workers.

   Synonyms:

   trade-unionize

Verb (2)

IPA/ʌnˈaɪənaɪz/

unionize (third-person singular simple present unionizes, present participle unionizing, simple past and past participle unionized)

1. (physical, rare, transitive) To cause (an ionized substance) to return to a neutral state; to convert (an ion) into a neutral atom or molecule.
   • For the experiments designed to study the effect of pH, aqueous solutions of NaOH were used. Approximately 3 mL of the aqueous phase was drawn out for sampling and a portion of this was used to determine the pH[…]. The other portion was analyzed after addition of HCl solution to bring the pH below...2013 July 24, Amit K. Tripathi, Donald C. Sundberg, “Partitioning of Functional Monomers in Emulsion Polymerization: Distribution of Carboxylic Acid Monomers between Water and Multimonomer Systems”...
2. (intransitive, physical, rare) Of an ionized substance, to return to a neutral state.
   • The water absorbency of the anionically starch-grafted AA/AM absorbent is markedly affected by the pH of the buffer solution at different ionic strengths. The charge of the ionic monomer affects the pH sensitivity of the superabsorbent polymers. An acidic superabsorbent normally ionizes at high pH...2000 October 1, Suda Kiatkamjornwong, Wararuk Chomsaksakul, Manit Sonsuk, “Radiation modification of water absorption of cassava starch by acrylic acid/acrylamide”, in Radiation Physics and...