chlorinate

verb chlo·ri·nate \ ˈklȯr-ə-ˌnāt \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Definition of chlorinate

chlorinated; chlorinating

transitive verb

: to treat or combine with chlorine or a chlorine compound

—

chlorination

play \ˌklȯr-ə-ˈnā-shən\ noun

—

chlorinator

play \ˈklȯr-ə-ˌnā-tər\ noun

See chlorinate defined for English-language learners

See chlorinate defined for kids

Recent Examples of chlorinate from the Web

Swimming pools and outdoor saunas and hot tubs should be cleaned and chlorinated.

— mary spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Milwaukee County: Here's how to protect yourself," 29 June 2018
This Stuff Isn’t Matador NanoDry Towel Nanofiber material is 2.3 times lighter than microfiber travel towels, absorbs 2.3 times its own weight in water and its antimicrobial coating repels bacteria that can collect in the non-chlorinated wild.

— lauren steele, WSJ, "America’s Best Secluded Swimming Holes—and How to Find Them," 20 June 2018
Maintain your swimming pool in good condition and chlorinate it.

— naseem s. miller, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake County issues mosquito-borne disease advisory," 13 June 2018
Pinkeye Burning eyes, excessive tearing and redness can occur because of an allergic reaction to chlorine, or an infection if the pool isn’t chlorinated enough.

— dr. roshini raj, Health.com, "3 Things You Can Catch from a Pool," 23 May 2018
Drinking water is chlorinated, but not at the levels needed to make pools safe.

— NBC News, "Hard-to-kill germs may be lurking in your hotel pool, CDC says," 17 May 2018
In an ideal world, with limitless cash and universally good governance, everybody would drink chlorinated water out of taps and flush their sewage through pipes into treatment plants.

— The Economist, "Bangladesh shows how to keep children alive," 22 Mar. 2018
Avion, like the Deschutes district, doesn't chlorinate or otherwise treat the water.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "California 'raw' water fans pay $9 a gallon for Oregon tap water," 19 Jan. 2018
The Third Stage is a 500- or 2,000-gallon storage tank where the purified water is chlorinated and held for everyday use.

— james f. mccarty, cleveland.com, "Newly patented wastewater recycling system turns toilet water into purified drinking water (photos, graphic)," 7 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chlorinate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of chlorinate

1855

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CHLORINATE Defined for English Language Learners

chlorinate

verb

Definition of chlorinate for English Language Learners

: to add chlorine to (something, such as water)

Medical Dictionary

chlorinate

transitive verb chlo·ri·nate \ ˈklōr-ə-ˌnāt, ˈklȯr- \

medical Definition of chlorinate

chlorinated; chlorinating

: to treat or cause to combine with chlorine or a chlorine compound

—

chlorination

play \ˌklōr-ə-ˈnā-shən, ˌklȯr-\ noun

Learn More about chlorinate

See words that rhyme with chlorinate Spanish Central: Translation of chlorinate Nglish: Translation of chlorinate for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up chlorinate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

chlorinate

Definition of chlorinate

chlorination

chlorinator

Recent Examples of chlorinate from the Web

First Known Use of chlorinate

CHLORINATE Defined for English Language Learners

chlorinate

Definition of chlorinate for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

chlorinate

medical Definition of chlorinate

chlorination

Learn More about chlorinate

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

festinate

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/20

An Explanation of Why We (Sometimes) Truncate Definitions

'Kayfabe': It's Illusive and Elusive

Words We're Watching: 'Laze'

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Obscure Shapes

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/20

Trending: Giuliani: Secret Recordings 'Powerful Exculpatory Evidence'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Ghost Word

chlorinate

Definition of chlorinate

chlorination

chlorinator

Recent Examples of chlorinate from the Web

First Known Use of chlorinate

CHLORINATE Defined for English Language Learners

chlorinate

Definition of chlorinate for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

chlorinate

medical Definition of chlorinate

chlorination

Learn More about chlorinate

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/20

Trending: Giuliani: Secret Recordings 'Powerful Exculpatory Evidence'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Ghost Word