chloral

[ klawr-uh l, klohr- ]

/ ˈklɔr əl, ˈkloʊr- /

noun

Also called trichloroacetaldehyde, trichloroacetic acid aldehyde. a colorless, oily liquid, C2Cl3HO, having a pungent odor, usually derived by the chlorination of ethyl alcohol or of acetaldehyde and combining with water to form chloral hydrate.

Also called chloral hydrate. Pharmacology. a white, crystalline solid, C2H3Cl3O2, formed by combining liquid chloral with water: used as a hypnotic.

Nearby words

Origin of chloral

First recorded in 1825–35; chlor-² + -al³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chloral

As soon as the patient has been sick, give a teaspoonful of the syrup of chloral in water.
A Manual of Toy Dogs|Mrs. Leslie Williams
Bromide of potassium and hydrate of chloral in drachm doses should be given in connection with conium.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep|Henry M. Lyman
That gave him an opportunity to steal a bottle of chloral hydrate from the medic's locker.
The Man Who Hated Mars|Gordon Randall Garrett
Chloral may be given at any time when there is a necessity for it.
A Manual of Toy Dogs|Mrs. Leslie Williams

Now is the time to intervene, and give one teaspoonful of syrup of chloral with an equal quantity of water.
A Manual of Toy Dogs|Mrs. Leslie Williams

British Dictionary definitions for chloral

chloral

/ (ˈklɔːrəl) /

noun

a colourless oily liquid with a pungent odour, made from chlorine and acetaldehyde and used in preparing chloral hydrate and DDT; trichloroacetaldehyde

short for chloral hydrate

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

Word Origin and History for chloral

chloral

colorless liquid formed by the action of chlorine on alcohol, apparently coined by German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1833 from elements from chlorine + alcohol. Later chiefly in chloral hydrate (1874).