formalin

[ fawr-muh-lin ]

/ ˈfɔr mə lɪn /

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noun Chemistry.

a clear, colorless, aqueous solution of 40 percent formaldehyde.

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Also called formol.

Origin of formalin

First recorded in 1890–95; formerly a trademark

Words nearby formalin

formability, formal, formal cause, formaldehyde, formal equivalence, formalin, formalism, formality, formalize, formal language, formal logic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use formalin in a sentence

The team received the footballfish frozen and thawed her, with plans to inject the precious sample with formalin for preservation.
This anglerfish has mastered a trick to light up the depths of the Pacific Ocean|Lauren J. Young|January 27, 2022|Popular-Science
It is frequently desirable to detect formalin, which is the most common preservative added to cow's milk.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Formalin is the best disinfectant for wall-paper unless the child has spat upon it—then use the bichloride.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
Use formalin or sulphur in the infected rooms, and classes may be begun again the next day.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley

The substances commonly used are carbolic acid, formalin or formaldehyde, lysol, and bichloride of mercury.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter
Its position was marked by a wire thrust through the wing at this place, and the wing (H) is preserved in formalin.
Langley Memoir on Mechanical Flight, Parts I and II|S. P. (Samuel Pierpont) Langley and Charles M. (Charles Matthews) Manly

British Dictionary definitions for formalin

formalin

formol (ˈfɔːmɒl)

/ (ˈfɔːməlɪn) /

noun

a 40 per cent solution of formaldehyde in water, used as a disinfectant, preservative for biological specimens, etc

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