formaldehyde

noun

form·al·de·hyde | \ fȯr-ˈmal-də-ˌhīd

, fər-\

Definition of formaldehyde

: a colorless pungent irritating gas CH₂O used chiefly in aqueous solution as a disinfectant and preservative and in chemical synthesis

Examples of formaldehyde in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pan clarified that vaccines do not contain fetal cells and have less formaldehyde than an apple. — Cat Ferguson, The Mercury News, "California bill cracking down on vaccine exemptions advances in Legislature," 20 June 2019 Even at lower levels, formaldehyde can cause adverse health effects. — John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Workers exposed to hazardous chemicals at St. Francis barrel plant didn't get proper training," 1 Feb. 2018 The first step in a Hi-C experiment is to treat a sample of millions of cells with formaldehyde, which has the chemical effect of cross-linking strands of DNA wherever two strands happen to be close together. — Quanta Magazine, "Genetic Geometry Takes Shape," 25 Feb. 2015 The company sources leather from tanneries that don’t use formaldehyde, a move aimed at keeping their shoes as free as possible of chemicals. — High School Journalism Institute, oregonlive.com, "Oregon shoe companies big and small step up green initiatives," 19 July 2019 Preserved inside a glass container filled with a solution of formaldehyde, the chunk of gray matter floats effortlessly, as though suspended in time. — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian, "How One Museum Is Giving a Voice to Former Mental Health Patients," 2 July 2019 The Laundress, an eco-friendly line of detergent and home-cleaning products, formulates without ammonia, petroleum, phthalates, phosphates, parabens, formaldehyde, artificial dyes, and chlorine bleach, as well as any other unnecessary additives. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "How to Tell If Your Laundry Detergent Is Messing With Your Skin," 15 June 2019 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that includes formaldehyde, asbestos and arsenic. — CBS News, "Firefighters battle occupational cancer," 16 June 2019 Bonding these panels together are green solvents—not a single drop of formaldehyde anywhere. — Blake Z. Rong, Popular Mechanics, "RVs Are More Efficient Than Ever, Thanks to Eco-Friendly Manufacturing," 15 May 2019

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