formalin

American  

[fawr-muh-lin] / ˈfɔr mə lɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

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

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formalin British  

/ ˈfɔːməlɪn, ˈfɔːmɒl /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of formalin

First recorded in 1890–95; formerly a trademark

Example Sentences

He had no ice to preserve the prize, but he borrowed a syringe from a medical officer and injected it with Formalin.

From Time Magazine Archive

The intestinal segment was promptly placed in Formalin, a preservative in which it was "fixed" for 24 hours, then sectioned and stained, and the sections mounted on slides.

From Time Magazine Archive

For nearly ten years the burned and battered body of an unidentified, pajama-clad young woman lay in a tank of Formalin in Sydney University's Pathological Museum.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of the lessons of history is that art is a better preservative than Formalin, and sweeter smelling, too.

From Time Magazine Archive

Formalin is the best disinfectant for wall-paper unless the child has spat upon it—then use the bichloride.

From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by ?Malley, Austin