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tetraethyllead

American  
[te-truh-eth-uhl-led] / ˌtɛ trəˌɛθ əlˈlɛd /
Or tetraethyl lead

noun

Chemistry.
  1. a colorless, oily, water-insoluble, poisonous liquid, (C 2 H5 ) 4 Pb, used as an antiknock agent in gasoline.


Etymology

Origin of tetraethyllead

First recorded in 1920–25; tetraethyl + lead 2

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.

See Examples For:

Petroleum containing tetraethyllead, a form of lead, was first sold almost 100 years ago to increase engine performance.

From Seattle Times Aug. 30, 2021

Annually, Innospec sells about 450,000 gallons of tetraethyllead to avgas producers.

From Salon Sep. 8, 2013

In 2012 tetraethyllead generated one-tenth of Innospec’s $776 million in revenue, down from 90 percent in 2000.

From Salon Sep. 8, 2013

The lead added to avgas is a clear liquid known technically as tetraethyllead.

From Salon Sep. 8, 2013

In addition to its anti-knock qualities, tetraethyllead performs several functions in piston-powered airplane engines.

From Salon Sep. 8, 2013

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