tetraethyllead

or tet·raeth·yl lead

[ te-truh-eth-uhl-led ]

/ ˌtɛ trəˌɛθ əlˈlɛd /

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noun Chemistry.

a colorless, oily, water-insoluble, poisonous liquid, (C2H5)4Pb, used as an antiknock agent in gasoline.

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Also called lead tetraethyl, TEL

Origin of tetraethyllead

First recorded in 1920–25; tetraethyl + lead²

Words nearby tetraethyllead

tetradactylous, tetradrachma, tetradymite, tetradynamous, tetraethyl, tetraethyllead, tetraethyl pyrophosphate, tetrafluoride, tetrafluoroethene, tetrafluoroethylene, tetrafunctional

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for tetraethyllead

tetraethyl lead

/ (ˌtɛtrəˈiːθaɪl lɛd) /

noun

a colourless oily insoluble liquid used in petrol to prevent knocking. Formula: Pb(C 2 H 5) 4Systematic name: lead tetraethyl

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

Scientific definitions for tetraethyllead

tetraethyl lead

[ tĕt′rə-ĕth′əl ]

A colorless, poisonous, oily liquid, formerly in wide use as an antiknock agent in gasoline for internal-combustion engines. Chemical formula: C8H20Pb.