formaldehyde
[ fawr-mal-duh-hahyd, fer- ]
/ fɔrˈmæl dəˌhaɪd, fər- /
noun Chemistry.
a colorless, toxic, potentially carcinogenic, water-soluble gas, CH2O, having a suffocating odor, usually derived from methyl alcohol by oxidation: used chiefly in aqueous solution, as a disinfectant and preservative, and in the manufacture of various resins and plastics.
Nearby words
formal equivalence, formal language, formal logic, formal mode, formal system, formaldehyde, formalin, formalin pigment, formalise, formalism, formality
Compare formalin.
Also called methanal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for formaldehyde
British Dictionary definitions for formaldehyde
formaldehyde
/ (fɔːˈmældɪˌhaɪd) /
noun
a colourless poisonous irritating gas with a pungent characteristic odour, made by the oxidation of methanol and used as formalin and in the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: HCHOSystematic name: methanal
Word Origin for formaldehyde
C19: form (ic) + aldehyde; on the model of German Formaldehyd
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 formaldehyde
formaldehyde
[ fôr-măl′də-hīd′ ]
n.
A colorless, gaseous compound that is the simplest aldehyde, used for manufacturing melamine and phenolic resins, fertilizers, dyes, and embalming fluids and in aqueous solution as a preservative and disinfectant.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for formaldehyde
formaldehyde
[ fôr-măl′də-hīd′ ]
A colorless gas having a sharp, suffocating odor. It is used in making plastics and, when dissolved in a solution of water and methanol, to preserve biological specimens. Chemical formula: CH2O.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.