chlorofluoromethane

American

[klawr-oh-floor-oh-meth-eyn, -flawr-, klohr-oh-floor-oh-meth-eyn, -flohr-] / ˌklɔr oʊˌflʊər oʊˈmɛθ eɪn, -ˌflɔr-, ˌkloʊr oʊˌflʊər oʊˈmɛθ eɪn, -ˌfloʊr- /

noun

any of a series of gaseous or volatile methanes substituted with chlorine and fluorine and containing little or no hydrogen: used as refrigerants and, formerly, as aerosol propellants until scientists became concerned about depletion of the atmospheric ozone layer.

Etymology

Origin of chlorofluoromethane

First recorded in 1960–65; chloro- ² + fluoro- + methane

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023