tetraethyl lead

British  

/ ˌtɛtrəˈiːθaɪl lɛd /

noun

1. Systematic name: lead tetraethyl.  a colourless oily insoluble liquid used in petrol to prevent knocking. Formula: Pb(C 2 H 5 ) 4

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tetraethyl lead Scientific  

/ tĕt′rə-ĕth′əl /

1. A colorless, poisonous, oily liquid, formerly in wide use as an antiknock agent in gasoline for internal-combustion engines. Chemical formula: C ₈ H ₂₀ Pb.

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Example Sentences

In 1921, General Motors engineers discovered that tetraethyl lead could make internal combustion engines run more smoothly and reduce engine knock.

From Salon

Similarly, several decades later, the introduction of tetraethyl lead into gasoline raised environmental concerns, but was tolerated as a necessary lubricant for the adoption of the internal combustion engine.

From New York Times

By all accounts, Midgley was a genial man who may even have believed his own spin about the safety of a daily tetraethyl lead handwash.

From BBC

Back then, too, gasoline also contained tetraethyl lead to dampen knocking and increase octane.

From New York Times

As Americans took to the road during the postwar boom in car travel, the amount of tetraethyl lead in the nation’s air and soil rapidly increased.

From Time