What does catalyst mean?
Word: Catalyst
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Catalyst means a substance that makes a chemical reaction go faster without being used up itself. It also means a person or event that makes a change happen.
Synonyms: trigger, spark
How do you spell catalyst?
Syllables: cat - a - lyst
Tricky part: The last part is -lyst with a y, not -list. Some students also double the t, but there is only one.
Watch out for: catalist, cattalyst
Memory tip: Analyst and catalyst end the same way: l-y-s-t. Learn one and you have the ending of the other.
Catalyst in a sentence
Example 1: Manganese dioxide acts as a catalyst when hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen.
Example 2: The new coach was the catalyst for the team's comeback.
Example 3: A visit to the bird sanctuary was the catalyst for Lucy's interest in birds.
Fun Fact
Your own saliva contains a catalyst. An enzyme called amylase starts breaking starch into sugar while you are still chewing, which is why a piece of bread slowly tastes sweeter.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
catalyst
a) outcome
b) stimulus
c) obstacle
d) delay
Show answer
b) stimulus. A stimulus spurs something into action, just as a catalyst does.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
c_t_lyst
a) e,e
b) a,e
c) e,a
d) a,a
Show answer
d) a,a. The front is cat-a, the same two a's you hear in catalogue.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) catalyst
b) experimant
c) analisis
d) hypothisis
Show answer
a) catalyst. Analysis takes a y, hypothesis has an e before sis, and experiment ends in -ment.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
ystlacat
a) cataract
b) catapult
c) catalyst
d) catalogue
Show answer
c) catalyst. Catapult needs a p and a u, catalogue a g, o, u and e, and cataract an r and a second c: only catalyst uses the y and the s.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The new library was a catalyst for reading in the village. This means the library ____.
a) got many more people reading
b) stopped people from reading
c) was built from old books
d) was paid for by its readers
Show answer
a) got many more people reading
2. Which word belongs to the same family as catalyst?
a) category
b) catalogue
c) catastrophe
d) catalyse
Show answer
d) catalyse
