chloroform

American

[klawr-uh-fawrm, klohr-] / ˈklɔr əˌfɔrm, ˈkloʊr- /

noun

Also called trichloromethane. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a colorless, volatile, nonflammable, slightly water-soluble, pungent, sweet-tasting liquid, CHCl 3 , 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.

verb (used with object)

to administer chloroform to, especially in order to anesthetize, make unconscious, or kill.
to put chloroform on (a cloth, object, etc.).

chloroform British

/ ˈklɔːrəˌfɔːm /

noun

Systematic name: trichloromethane. 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

"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

chloroform Scientific

/ 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: CHCl ₃ .

Other Word Forms

chloroformic adjective
prechloroform verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of chloroform

First recorded in 1830–40; chloro- ² + form(yl)

Vocabulary lists containing chloroform

"The Night Face Up," Vocabulary from the short story

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In contrast, when dissolved in chloroform, both the chlorophyll derivatives formed rosette patterns.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

They included several types of phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics flexible; chloroform, a toxic byproduct from disinfecting water with chlorine; and toluene, a hazardous substance found in vehicle exhaust.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2024

Researchers at the University of Washington have genetically modified pothos plants with a synthetic version of a "green liver" protein found in rabbits, which can process chloroform and benzene.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2023

Ether had made its way into medicine as a general anesthetic in 1846, with chloroform arriving the very next year.

From Salon • May 14, 2022

“Pardon me, Herr Doctor, I will keep still but do not chloroform me.”

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023