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chlorine
[ klawr-een, -in, klohr- ]
/ ˈklɔr in, -ɪn, ˈkloʊr- /
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noun
a halogen element, a heavy, greenish-yellow, incombustible, water-soluble, poisonous gas that is highly irritating to the respiratory organs, obtained chiefly by electrolysis of sodium chloride brine: used for water purification, in the making of bleaching powder, and in the manufacture both of chemicals that do not contain chlorine, as ethylene glycol, and of those that do. Symbol: Cl; atomic weight: 35.453; atomic number: 17.
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OTHER WORDS FROM chlorine
chlo·rin·ous, adjectiveWords nearby chlorine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use chlorine in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for chlorine
chlorine
chlorin (ˈklɔːrɪn)
/ (ˈklɔːriːn) /
noun
a toxic pungent greenish-yellow gas of the halogen group; the 15th most abundant element in the earth's crust, occurring only in the combined state, mainly in common salt: used in the manufacture of many organic chemicals, in water purification, and as a disinfectant and bleaching agent. Symbol: Cl; atomic no: 17; atomic wt: 35.4527; valency: 1, 3, 5, or 7; density: 3.214 kg/m³; relative density: 1.56; melting pt: –101.03°C; boiling pt: –33.9°C
Word Origin for chlorine
C19 (coined by Sir Humphrey Davy): from chloro- + -ine ², referring to its colour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for chlorine
chlorine
[ klôr′ēn′ ]
Cl
A greenish-yellow, gaseous element of the halogen group that can combine with most other elements and is found chiefly in combination with the alkali metals as chlorates and chlorides. Chlorine is highly irritating and poisonous. It is used in purifying water, as a disinfectant and bleach, and in the manufacture of numerous chemical compounds. Atomic number 17; atomic weight 35.453; freezing point -100.98°C; boiling point -34.6°C; specific gravity 1.56 (-33.6°C); valence 1, 3, 5, 7. See Periodic Table. See Note at chlorophyll.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for chlorine
chlorine
[ (klawr-een, klawr-in) ]
A chemical element, normally a corrosive gas, that is widely used for sterilization and cleaning.
notes for chlorine
Chlorine is added to drinking water to kill bacteria.
notes for chlorine
Chlorine in CFCs is believed to be responsible for the ozone hole.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.