chloral

noun

chlo·​ral ˈklȯr-əl How to pronounce chloral (audio)
1
: a pungent colorless oily aldehyde CCl3CHO used in making DDT and chloral hydrate
2

Examples of chloral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In poor health and afflicted with chronic insomnia, Waugh took nightly sleeping draughts of bromide and chloral, washed down with crème de menthe. Christopher Buckley, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chloral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from chlor- + alcool alcohol

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chloral was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near chloral

Cite this Entry

“Chloral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chloral. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

chloral

noun
1
: a pungent colorless oily aldehyde C2HCl3O used in making DDT and chloral hydrate
2

More from Merriam-Webster on chloral

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!