chloral

[ klawr-uh l, klohr- ]
/ ˈklɔr əl, ˈkloʊr- /

noun

Also called trichloroacetaldehyde, trichloroacetic acid aldehyde. a colorless, oily liquid, C2Cl3HO, having a pungent odor, usually derived by the chlorination of ethyl alcohol or of acetaldehyde and combining with water to form chloral hydrate.
Also called chloral hydrate. Pharmacology. a white, crystalline solid, C2H3Cl3O2, formed by combining liquid chloral with water: used as a hypnotic.

Origin of chloral

First recorded in 1825–35; chlor-2 + -al3

Words nearby chloral

chlor-, chlor-trimeton, chloracetic acid, chloracetophenone, chloracne, chloral, chloral hydrate, chloralose, chlorambucil, chloramine, chloramphenicol

Example sentences from the Web for chloral

British Dictionary definitions for chloral

chloral
/ (ˈklɔːrəl) /

noun

a colourless oily liquid with a pungent odour, made from chlorine and acetaldehyde and used in preparing chloral hydrate and DDT; trichloroacetaldehyde
short for chloral hydrate