OXIDE

Meaning

A binary chemical compound of oxygen with another chemical element.

OXIDE as a word-puzzle answer

OXIDE is a 5-letter word with 3 vowels (O, I, E) and 2 consonants (X, D). Every letter is distinct, so it rarely punishes a clean opening guess.

It leans on high-frequency letters (O, I, E), so a strong vowel-and-common-consonant opener tends to light up quickly. Watch for the less-common letter X — saving a guess to test it once the vowels are placed is usually the fastest route.