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 offormaldehyde inwater ; used as adisinfectant and topreserve 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
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Examples
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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
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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.
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Vessels preserved in formalin or by means of a system of thorough drying were also used.
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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.
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It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.
The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994
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It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.
The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994
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It is not uncommon for pathologists to fix brains in a ten percent solution of formaldehyde called formalin.
The Body Farm Patricia Cornwell 1994
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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
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Other disinfectants such as formalin, iodine and phenol kill the virus in 15 minutes at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0. 4\%.
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Direct skin contact with formaldehyde containing liquids, such as formalin, may cause severe burns to the throat and stomach.
chained_bear commented on the word formalin
"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