formaldehyde
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of formaldehyde
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How does formaldehyde compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
No, formaldehyde is not a formal hiding place. Formaldehyde is a strong-smelling colorless gas. Depending on what other elements are combined with it, formaldehyde is used for embalming, manufacturing, and all kinds of other things. Formaldehyde is really good at helping things stick together, which is why it's often used in making things like particleboard and some insulation materials found in buildings. It’s also found in some glues and paints. Besides helping things stick, formaldehyde is famous in science labs for preserving biological specimens, like animals and plants, so that they can be studied without decaying.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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As the body attempts to clear methanol - breaking it down or metabolising it in the liver - an enzyme converts it to formaldehyde and formic acid.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The unusually high formaldehyde levels detected by satellites served as evidence that methane breakdown was taking place.
From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026
Preserved in formaldehyde and paraffin wax, they come from patients treated at the UK's national bowel hospital, St Mark's, in northwest London.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
Last year, formaldehyde was identified in an FAA-funded study as repeatedly exceeding occupational exposure guidelines even when low amounts of oil mixes into the air supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
“Only, you know, without the formaldehyde smell this time.”
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
It is made in small batches and is a 10-free polish, meaning its base is made without formaldehydes, added fragrance and other chemicals commonly found in nail polish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
Another popular brand for sensitive skin is Vanicream because it’s free of fragrances, parabens, formaldehydes, and other irritating ingredients.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2018
What she found terrified her: petrochemicals, formaldehydes and flame retardants in everyday household products from floor cleaners to mattresses.
From Forbes ● May 27, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
