Although Lord Kelvin first defined the word "chiral" in 1893-1894, references in the literature give dates varying from 1884 to 1904. He referred previously to hetero and homochiral in 1873 in a note that is now lost. Apparently overlooked have been his definitions of hetero and homochiral in a text that he coauthored in 1879. The etymology of these and other related neologisms is considered.
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