paraformaldehyde

American  

[par-uh-fawr-mal-duh-hahyd, -fer-] / ˌpær ə fɔrˈmæl dəˌhaɪd, -fər- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline polymer of formaldehyde, (HCOH) n , from which it is obtained by evaporation of the aqueous solution: used chiefly as an antiseptic.

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paraformaldehyde British  

/ ˌpærəfɔːˈmældɪˌhaɪd /

noun

1. a white amorphous solid polymeric form of formaldehyde: used as a convenient source of formaldehyde and as a fumigant. Formula: (CH 2 O) n , where n lies between 6 and 50

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Etymology

Origin of paraformaldehyde

First recorded in 1930–35; para- ¹ + formaldehyde

Compare meaning

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

• paraformaldehyde vs. formaldehyde

Example Sentences

And she showed that the paraformaldehyde used to prepare samples for standard microscopy introduces its own artifacts: Applying it causes the pearls to disappear.

From Science Magazine

Four days later the cultivated embryos were preserved in paraformaldehyde and shipped back to Earth, where a team led by molecular biologist Teruhiko Wakayama of the University of Yamanashi studied the results.

From Salon

Last year’s Nature study, for example, looked for new neurons in 59 samples of human brain tissue, some of which came from brain banks where samples are often immersed in the fixative paraformaldehyde for months or even years.

From Science Magazine

Over time, paraformaldehyde forms bonds between the components that make up neurons, turning the cells into a gel, says neuroscientist María Llorens-Martín of the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in Madrid.

From Science Magazine

The number of cells that test positive for DCX in brain tissue declines sharply after just 48 hours in a paraformaldehyde bath, Llorens-Martín and her colleagues report today in Nature Medicine.

From Science Magazine