Question

catalyst The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 turned out to be the catalyst for World War I. ˈkætəˌlɪst

Accepted Answer

(1) A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction or lets it take place under different conditions. (2) Someone or something that brings about or speeds significant change or action. Chemical catalysts are substances that, in very small amounts, can bring about important chemical changes in large quantities of material. The catalytic converter in your car's exhaust system, for instance, uses tiny amounts of platinum to swiftly convert the engine's dangerous gases to carbon dioxide and water vapor. And it's easy to see how the meaning of catalyst could broaden to include nonchemical situations. We can now say, for example, that the Great Depression served as the catalyst for such important social reforms as Social Security

word	catalyst
definition	(1) A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction or lets it take place under different conditions. (2) Someone or something that brings about or speeds significant change or action.
eg_sentence	The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 turned out to be the catalyst for World War I.
explanation	Chemical catalysts are substances that, in very small amounts, can bring about important chemical changes in large quantities of material. The catalytic converter in your car's exhaust system, for instance, uses tiny amounts of platinum to swiftly convert the engine's dangerous gases to carbon dioxide and water vapor. And it's easy to see how the meaning of catalyst could broaden to include nonchemical situations. We can now say, for example, that the Great Depression served as the catalyst for such important social reforms as Social Security
IPA	ˈkætəˌlɪst

Catalyst Chemical Speeds Important Social Substance Reaction Lets