quaternary ammonium compound

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of a class of salts derived from ammonium in which the nitrogen atom is attached to four organic groups, as in benzalkonium chloride; the salts are cationic surface-active compounds used as antiseptics and disinfectants.

---

quaternary ammonium compound British  

noun

1. a type of ionic compound that can be regarded as derived from ammonium compounds by replacing the hydrogen atoms with organic groups

---

Etymology

Origin of quaternary ammonium compound

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

“But that’s inside our house. The outside one’s for bodily waste, full of quaternary ammonium compound chemicals. You know, like that stinky blue soup at the bottom of a porta potty.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman