Dictionary
chlo•ral
Pronunciation: (klôr'ul, klōr'-), [key]—
n.
1. Also called
trichloroacetaldehyde, trichloroacetic acid aldehyde. a colorless, oily liquid, C
2Cl
3HO, having a pungent odor, usually derived by the chlorination of ethyl alcohol or of acetaldehyde and combining with water to form chloral hydrate.
2. Also called chlo'ral hy'drate. Pharm.a white, crystalline solid, C
2H
3Cl
3O
2, formed by combining liquid chloral with water: used as a hypnotic.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.