tetrachloroethylene

American  

[te-truh-klawr-oh-eth-uh-leen, -klohr-] / ˌtɛ trəˌklɔr oʊˈɛθ əˌlin, -ˌkloʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, nonflammable, nonexplosive liquid, C 2 Cl 4 , used as a solvent, especially in dry cleaning.

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tetrachloroethylene Scientific  

/ tĕt′rə-klôr′ō-ĕth′ə-lēn′ /

1. A colorless, nonflammable organic liquid used in dry-cleaning solutions, as an industrial solvent, and as an agent for expelling or destroying parasitic intestinal worms. Also called perchloroethylene. Chemical formula: C ₂ Cl ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of tetrachloroethylene

1910–15; tetra- + chloro- ² ( def. ) + ethylene ( def. )

Example Sentences

Chemicals are a good example: Global exports of tetrachloroethylene, used in dry cleaning, have risen 25-fold since 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Vapor from TCE and a related solvent — tetrachloroethylene, or PCE — have been detected above screening levels in 129 homes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2023

One was mostly contaminated with perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene from an off-base dry cleaning company.

From Washington Times • Nov. 28, 2022

But some toxic chemical releases, including benzene, lead, 1,3-butadiene, tetrachloroethylene and sulfuric acid, rose above the 2004 levels in almost every year since then.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2012

Shielded from all other radiation by the rock above, the detector consists of a 100,000-gal. vat of a cleaning fluid called tetrachloroethylene.

From Time Magazine Archive