catalyst

Noun
  1. (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected (synset 114747789)
    referred to in: chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions
    is a type of: activator - (biology) any agency bringing about activation; a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription
    subtypes:
    • biocatalyst - a biochemical catalyst such as an enzyme
    • enzyme - any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions
    • platinum black - a fine black powder of platinum; used as a catalyst in chemical reactions
    same as: accelerator
  2. Something that causes an important event to happen (synset 109920164)
    "the invasion acted as a catalyst to unite the country"
    is a type of: causal agency, causal agent, cause - any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results

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