bleaching powder

noun

: a white powder consisting chiefly of calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride, and calcium hypochlorite and used as a bleach, disinfectant, or deodorant

Examples of bleaching powder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Remove Bathroom Stains with Bleach Use a bleaching powder for cleaning stains on the sink or countertop. —Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022

Mix a tablespoon bleaching powder with 1 gallon warm water and stir to dissolve. —Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022

The steamship England, which cleared from Queenstown on January 12th, with 200 passengers on board, was obliged to put back to harbor in consequence of the breaking, during a heavy storm, of a number of barrels of bleaching powder in the hold. —Dan Schlenoff, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

bleaching powder

noun

bleach·​ing powder ˌblē-chiŋ- 

: a white powder consisting chiefly of calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride, and calcium hypochlorite used as a bleach, disinfectant, or deodorant

called also chloride of lime, chlorinated lime