chloroform
Also called trichloromethane. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a colorless, volatile, nonflammable, slightly water-soluble, pungent, sweet-tasting liquid, CHCl3, usually derived from acetone, acetaldehyde, or ethyl alcohol by the reaction of chloride of lime: used chiefly in medicine as a solvent and formerly as an anesthetic.
to administer chloroform to, especially in order to anesthetize, make unconscious, or kill.
to put chloroform on (a cloth, object, etc.).
Origin of chloroform
1Other words from chloroform
- chlo·ro·for·mic, adjective
- pre·chlo·ro·form, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chloroform in a sentence
To the ethereal or chloroformic liquor are afterwards added a few drops of hydrochloric acid to saturate the base.
The chloroformic extract equals the total alkaloids, which may be separated in the usual way.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection | Alexander Wynter Blyth
British Dictionary definitions for chloroform
/ (ˈklɔːrəˌfɔːm) /
a heavy volatile liquid with a sweet taste and odour, used as a solvent and cleansing agent and in refrigerants: formerly used as an inhalation anaesthetic. Formula: CHCl 3: Systematic name: trichloromethane
Origin of chloroform
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for chloroform
[ klôr′ə-fôrm′ ]
A colorless, toxic, sweet-tasting liquid formed by combining methane with chlorine. It is used as a solvent and was once widely used as an anesthetic. Chemical formula: CHCl3.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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