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 Other studies have found that plants can remove harmful gases such as formaldehyde from indoor air. — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 31 Mar. 2021 The research team identified acetylene, ammonia, ethane, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, water, and high amounts of methanol in the comet. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2021 The smell of formaldehyde did not bother me in the slightest. — Frederick N. Rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, 26 June 2021 The other one had a battery that overheated, creating higher-than-expected levels of formaldehyde. — Jennifer Maloney, WSJ, 21 June 2021 These plants efficiently produce oxygen while removing toxins from the air like formaldehyde and benzene. — Leah Koenig, Forbes, 2 June 2021 In general, tissue samples that come from a biopsy are immediately placed in formalin (formaldehyde) or another solution to preserve them. — John Cumbers, Forbes, 10 June 2021 This material contains chemicals including formaldehyde, which has been shown to significantly worsen indoor air quality. — Alana Semuels, Time, 2 June 2021 Other potential allergens in gel polish formulas include nitrocellulose, tosylamide formaldehyde, camphor, dibutyl pthalate, and solvents such as acetone or dyes, says Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 22 Apr. 2021

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.