To introduce halogen atoms (like chlorine or fluorine) into a chemical compound.
From 'halogen' + '-ate' (verb suffix). Emerged in 19th-century organic chemistry as scientists developed techniques to replace hydrogen with halogen atoms.
Halogenating compounds is like swapping out building blocks in chemistry—replacing hydrogen with fluorine or chlorine often makes drugs more stable, longer-lasting, and less likely to break down in your body, which is why nearly 20% of modern pharmaceuticals are halogenated.
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