definitions

chloral

[ klawr-uh l, klohr- ]
/ ˈklɔr əl, ˈkloʊr- /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chloral ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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RELATED WORDS

peter, mickey

Nearby words

chlor-, chlor-trimeton, chloracetic acid, chloracetophenone, chloracne, chloral, chloral hydrate, chloralose, chlorambucil, chloramine, chloramphenicol

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

British Dictionary definitions for chloral hydrate (1 of 2)

chloral hydrate

noun

a colourless crystalline soluble solid produced by the reaction of chloral with water and used as a sedative and hypnotic; 2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-ethanediol. Formula: CCl 3 CH(OH) 2

British Dictionary definitions for chloral hydrate (2 of 2)

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

Medicine definitions for chloral hydrate

chloral hydrate

[ klôr′əl ]

n.

A crystalline compound used medicinally as a sedative and hypnotic.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.