formaldehyde
formaldehyde Lexical Profile
formaldehyde Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A colorless, pungent, and irritating gas (CH2O) representatively constituting the simplest aldehyde, widely used in aqueous solution as a biological preservative, disinfectant, and embalming fluid, as well as in the manufacture of synthetic resins and adhesives.
"The biology specimens in the university laboratory were preserved in jars containing a dilute solution of formaldehyde."
Word Nuance & Usage
Formaldehyde is technically a gas at room temperature; its widely used aqueous solution (typically 37% formaldehyde by weight in water) is specifically called 'formalin', though the two terms are frequently used interchangeably in casual contexts.
• Rhymes for formaldehyde
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century from 'formic' (ultimately from Latin 'formica' meaning 'ant', because formic acid was originally distilled from ants) and 'aldehyde' (an acronymic contraction of Modern Latin 'alcohol dehydrogenatum', meaning dehydrogenated alcohol).