the.com/antioxidant

means A substance that neutralizes free radicals — unstable molecules that would otherwise damage cells — by sacrificing itself in the chemical exchange.

from Straightforward chemistry naming: 'anti-' (against) plus 'oxidant,' from 'oxidation,' the reaction named after oxygen because oxygen was the first element chemists saw drive it. Oxidation is what rusts iron and browns a cut apple — electrons get stripped away, and in cells that stripping can wreck DNA and proteins. The term entered scientific use in the early 1900s for chemicals that prevent oxidative damage in rubber and food before it became the supplement-aisle buzzword of the late 20th century.