methyl chloride

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, poisonous gas, CH 3 Cl, used chiefly as a refrigerant, as a local anesthetic, and as a methylating agent in organic synthesis.

methyl chloride

noun

1. a colourless gas with an ether-like odour, used as a refrigerant and anaesthetic. Formula: CH 3 Cl Systematic namechloromethane

Word History and Origins

Origin of methyl chloride¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Base spokeswoman Jasmin Porterfield tells the Pensacola News Journal the smoke, identified at methyl chloride, didn’t pose a health hazard to the public, but an area was evacuated as a precaution.

From Washington Times

Base spokeswoman Jasmin Porterfield tells the Pensacola News Journal the smoke, identified at methyl chloride, didn’t pose a health hazard to the public, but an area was evacuated as a precaution.

From Seattle Times

Eglin officials said on their Twitter account that the explosion happened Wednesday morning at the McKinley Climatic Lab near where methyl chloride was present.

From Washington Times

Officials say the source of the smoke has been identified as methyl chloride, and they are urging people to avoid contact with it.

From Seattle Times

For example, by substituting one atom of chlorine for one of hydrogen we produce methyl chloride: Take away three hydrogen atoms and substitute chlorine and we have the anesthetic chloroform: Substitute chlorine atoms for all of the hydrogen atoms and the result is carbon tetrachloride, the familiar cleaning fluid: In the simplest possible terms, these changes rung upon the basic molecule of methane illustrate what a chlorinated hydrocarbon is.

From Literature