n pl but sing or pl in constr 1 a  :  a branch of science that deals with the effects of forces upon the motions of material bodies or with changes in a physical or chemical system  b  :  the rate of change in such a system  2  :  the mechanism by which a physical or chemical change is effected .
 
   
 
Similar sounding terms:  con·tig·u·ous 
 
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