tetraethyllead

or tet·raeth·yl lead

[ te-truh-eth-uh l-led ]

/ ˌtɛ trəˌɛθ əlˈlɛd /

noun Chemistry.

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

Nearby words

tetradymite, tetradynamous, tetraethyl, tetraethyl lead, tetraethyl pyrophosphate, tetraethyllead, tetrafluoride, tetrafluoroethene, tetrafluoroethylene, tetrafunctional, tetragon

Origin of tetraethyllead

First recorded in 1920–25; tetraethyl + lead²

Also called lead tetraethyl, TEL

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019