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paraformaldehyde vs. formaldehyde

paraformaldehyde

[par-uh-fawr-mal-duh-hahyd, -fer-] / ˌpær ə fɔrˈmæl dəˌhaɪd, -fər- /

noun

Chemistry.

a white, crystalline polymer of formaldehyde, (HCOH) n , from which it is obtained by evaporation of the aqueous solution: used chiefly as an antiseptic.

formaldehyde

[fawr-mal-duh-hahyd, fer-] / fɔrˈmæl dəˌhaɪd, fər- /

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, toxic, potentially carcinogenic, water-soluble gas, CH 2 O, having a suffocating odor, usually derived from methyl alcohol by oxidation: used chiefly in aqueous solution, as a disinfectant and preservative, and in the manufacture of various resins and plastics.