perchlorate

American

[per-klawr-eyt, -klohr-] / pərˈklɔr eɪt, -ˈkloʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

a salt or ester of perchloric acid, as potassium perchlorate, KClO 4 .

perchlorate British

/ pəˈklɔːreɪt /

noun

any salt or ester of perchloric acid. Perchlorate salts contain the ion ClO 4 ^–

"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

perchlorate Scientific

/ pər-klôr′āt′ /

A salt of perchloric acid, containing the group ClO ₄.

Etymology

Origin of perchlorate

First recorded in 1820–30; per- + chlorate

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.

In 2024 China accounted for 70% of Russia’s imports of ammonium perchlorate, an essential ingredient in ballistic-missile fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

The New York Times also cited an unnamed person with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guards as saying that sodium perchlorate exploded.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025

The advocacy group looked at 196 samples of 63 supermarket products and 10 fast food items, which were chosen because prior scientific research suggested these foods may contain perchlorate.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2024

Once in the lab, the team modified the ionic liquid's formula, replacing the chlorine with perchlorate.

From Science Daily • Sep. 28, 2023

Chloratzit: potassium chlorate or perchlorate, aryl nitro-bodies, resins, and carbohydrates.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023