hydrogen chloride

American  

noun

1. a colorless gas, HCl, having a pungent odor: the anhydride of hydrochloric acid.

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hydrogen chloride British  

noun

1. a colourless pungent corrosive gas obtained by the action of sulphuric acid on sodium chloride: used in making vinyl chloride and other organic chemicals. Formula: HCl

2. an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride; hydrochloric acid

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hydrogen chloride Scientific  

1. A colorless, corrosive, suffocating gas used in making plastics and in many industrial processes. When mixed with water, it forms hydrochloric acid. Chemical formula: HCl.

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Etymology

Origin of hydrogen chloride

First recorded in 1865–70

Compare meaning

How does hydrogen-chloride compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hydrogen chloride vs. hydrochloric acid

Example Sentences

In the case of large, multiple-battery fires, they can burn for days, all the while releasing toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2024

Officials warned when they burned it that two concerning gases — hydrogen chloride and phosgene, which was used as a weapon in World War I — might be released in the process.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2023

When burned, vinyl chloride decomposes into gases that include hydrogen chloride and phosgene.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2023

"To date, no detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride were identified for the completed screened homes," the EPA said in a statement.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2023

Two kilograms of concentrated sulfuric acid and 750 g. of concentrated hydrochloric acid are sufficient to produce the necessary amount of hydrogen chloride.

From Organic Syntheses by Conant, James Bryant