a colourless poisonous irritating gas with a pungent characteristic odour, made by the oxidation of methanol and used as formalin and in the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: HCHO
Systematic name: methanal
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
form•al•de•hyde /fɔrˈmældəˌhaɪd, fɚ-/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Chemistrya toxic gas used chiefly in solution as a disinfectant and as a preservative.
form•al•de•hyde
(fôr mal′də hīd′, fər-),USA pronunciation n. [Chem.]
- Chemistrya colorless, toxic, potentially carcinogenic, water-soluble gas, CH2O, having a suffocating odor, usually derived from methyl alcohol by oxidation: used chiefly in aqueous solution, as a disinfectant and preservative, and in the manufacture of various resins and plastics. Also called methanal. Cf. formalin.
- 1870–75; form(ic) + aldehyde; modeled on German Formaldehyd
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'formaldehyde' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):