oxidation state; positive valence. A convention for representing a charge of an atom embedded within a compound, if the compound were purely ionic. For example, H2O is a covalent compound; if it were ionic, the hydrogens would be H+ (oxidation number +1) and the oxygen would be O2- (oxidation number -2). Oxidation n...
the total number of electrons that an atom either gains or loses in order to form a chemical bond with another atom.[10 related articles]
See IUPAC INORGANIC RULES (1970), Rule 0.1; IUPAC INORGANIC NOMENCLATURE (1990), Rules I-5.5.2 and I-10.2.7. See also oxidation.
A signed integer representing the real or hypothetical charge on an atom.
The number of electrons necessary to restore an atom in a combined state to its elemental form. ... (09 Oct 1997) ... 
a number assigned to each atom in a molecule or ion that represents the number of electrons theoretically gained (positive oxidation numbers) or lost (negative numbers) in converting the atom to the elemental form.
A number assigned to each atom to help keep track of the electrons during a redox-reaction.
[n] - the degree of oxidation of an atom or ion or molecule
A number assigned to each atom to help keep track of the electrons during a redox-reaction. 
oxidation state noun the degree of oxidation of an atom or ion or molecule; for simple atoms or ions the oxidation number is equal to the ionic charge; `the oxidation number of hydrogen is +1 and of oxygen is -2`
a signed integer representing the real or hypothetical charge on an atom.