Definition of "oxidize"

oxidize

/ˈɒksɪdaɪz/

verb
third-person singular simple present oxidizes, present participle oxidizing, simple past and past participle oxidized
1. (chemistry, transitive) To combine with oxygen or otherwise make an oxide.
  Quotations
  Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: […] . The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.
  2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist
2. (chemistry) To increase the valence (or the positive charge) of an element by removing electrons.
3. To coat something with an oxide.
4. (intransitive) To become oxidized.