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trichloroethylene

[ trahy-klawr-oh-eth-uh-leen, -klohr- ]

noun

, Chemistry.
  1. a colorless, poisonous liquid, C 2 HCl 3 , used chiefly as a degreasing agent for metals and as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning, for fats, oils, and waxes. : TCE


trichloroethylene

/ traɪˌklɔːrəʊˈɛθɪˌliːn /

noun

  1. a volatile nonflammable mobile colourless liquid with an odour resembling that of chloroform. It is a good solvent for certain organic materials and is also an inhalation anaesthetic. Formula CHCl:CCl 2
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


trichloroethylene

/ trī-klôr′ō-ĕthə-lēn′ /

  1. A heavy, colorless, toxic liquid. It is used to degrease metals, to extract oil from nuts and fruit, as a refrigerant, in dry cleaning, and as a fumigant. Chemical formula: C 2 HCl 3 .


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Word History and Origins

Origin of trichloroethylene1

First recorded in 1915–20; tri- + chloro- 2 + ethylene

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trichloroethanetrichlorofluoromethane