hypochlorous acid

UK: /ˌhaɪpəˈklɔːrəs/

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hy′pochlo′rous ac′id, 

1. Chemistry a weak, unstable acid, HOCl, existing only in solution and in the form of its salts, used as a bleaching agent and disinfectant.

• 1835–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hypochlorous acid noun

1. an unstable acid known only in solution and in the form of its salts, formed when chlorine dissolves in water: a strong oxidizing and bleaching agent. Formula: HOCl