Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An aqueous solution of formaldehyde that is 37 percent by weight, usually also containing 10 to 15 percent methanol to prevent polymerization of the formaldehyde.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A trade-name for aqueous or dilute methyl alcoholic solutions of formaldehyde, containing up to 40 per cent. of the latter.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) An aqueous solution of formaldehyde, used as a preservative in museums and as a disinfectant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A solution of formaldehyde in water; used as a disinfectant and to preserve biological specimens.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a 10% solution of formaldehyde in water; used as a disinfectant or to preserve biological specimens

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Originally a trademark.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word formalin.

Examples

  • Today's issue of Folha has to be kept in formalin, because it presents an anthology of journalism in decomposition, as is practised in this sub-democracy.

    Global Voices in English » Brazil: The Character Assassination of a Presidential Candidate 2009

  • It was only after the vessel had been placed in formalin, that two faint whitish lines began to appear, indicating the place where the suture had been performed.

    Alexis Carrel - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • Vessels preserved in formalin or by means of a system of thorough drying were also used.

    Alexis Carrel - Nobel Lecture 1967

  • Hekpoort Foods CC-operated factory, the Minister of Land Affairs and Gauteng's MEC for development planning, environment and works for the past four years, claiming that there was a serious risk of water resources being polluted by formalin, which is used in the enrichment process.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.

    The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994

  • It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.

    The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994

  • It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.

    The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994

  • With a substance so violently toxic as formaldehyde (known as formalin, freezene) antiseptic doses are likely to be exceeded.

    Outlines of Dairy Bacteriology, 8th edition A Concise Manual for the Use of Students in Dairying 1910

  • Other disinfectants such as formalin, iodine and phenol kill the virus in 15 minutes at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0. 4\%.

    COSMOS magazine - The science of everything 2009

  • Direct skin contact with formaldehyde containing liquids, such as formalin, may cause severe burns to the throat and stomach.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • "All wearing apparel was steamed or soaked in a disinfectant called formalin. No exceptions were made—even for the head of the Yellow Fever Commission."

    —Molly Caldwell Crosby, The American Plague (New York: Berkeley Books, 2006), 148

    October 6, 2008