tetrachloroethylene

American  

[te-truh-klawr-oh-eth-uh-leen, -klohr-] / ˌtɛ trəˌklɔr oʊˈɛθ əˌlin, -ˌkloʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, nonflammable, nonexplosive liquid, C 2 Cl 4 , used as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning.

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tetrachloroethylene Scientific  

/ tĕt′rə-klôr′ō-ĕth′ə-lēn′ /

1. A colorless, nonflammable organic liquid used in dry-cleaning solutions, as an industrial solvent, and as an agent for expelling or destroying parasitic intestinal worms. Also called perchloroethylene. Chemical formula: C ₂ Cl ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of tetrachloroethylene

1910–15; tetra- + chloro- ² ( def. ) + ethylene ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tetrachloroethylene

A study published in Liver International by researchers at Keck Medicine of USC found that exposure to tetrachloroethylene, commonly known as PCE, may be linked to serious liver damage.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

Chemicals are a good example: Global exports of tetrachloroethylene, used in dry cleaning, have risen 25-fold since 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

One was mostly contaminated with perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene from an off-base dry cleaning company.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

The compounds included the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says may harm the nervous system, reproductive system, liver and kidneys, and may possibly cause cancer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2022

But some toxic chemical releases, including benzene, lead, 1,3-butadiene, tetrachloroethylene and sulfuric acid, rose above the 2004 levels in almost every year since then.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 4, 2012