optically inactive

Inactive \In*ac"tive\, a. [Pref. in- not + active: cf. F.
   inactif.]
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   1. Not active; having no power to move; that does not or can
      not produce results; inert; as, matter is, of itself,
      inactive.
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   2. Not disposed to action or effort; not diligent or
      industrious; not busy; idle; as, an inactive officer.
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   3. (Chem. & Opt.) Not exhibiting any action or activity on
      polarized light; {optically inactive}; optically neutral;
      -- said of isomeric forms of certain substances, in
      distinction from other forms which are optically active;
      as, racemic acid is an inactive tartaric acid.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Chem. & Biochem.) Lacking biological or biochemical
      activity; not causing a specific biological or biochemical
      effect; -- said of substances such as enzymes which have
      lost their catalytic power, or of small molecules which
      are tested for some type of biological activity and found
      to lack that activity; as, after boiling for ten minutes,
      the enzyme was totally inactive; the methyl analog was
      inactive as an antibiotic.
      [PJC]

   Syn: Inert; dull; sluggish; idle; indolent; slothful; lazy.
        See {Inert}.
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Optically \Op"tic*al*ly\, adv.
   1. By optics or sight.
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   2. With reference to optics.
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   {Optically active}, {Optically inactive} (Chem. Physics),
      terms used of certain isomeric substances which, while
      identical with each other in other respects, differ in
      this, viz., that they do or do not produce right-handed or
      left-handed circular polarization of light. See {optical
      activity}.

   {Optically positive}, {Optically negative}. See under
      {Refraction}.
      [1913 Webster]