-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
ethyl chloride
noun
: a colorless pungent flammable gaseous or volatile liquid C2H5Cl used especially as a topical anesthetic
Examples of ethyl chloride in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Outside the sports world, physicians sometimes use sprays like ethyl chloride to numb an injection site before inserting a needle.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2022
Chloroethane is also known as ethyl chloride, a colorless, flammable gas typically used in gasoline additives and plastics that is also sometimes used as a recreational inhalant drug.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2022
Chloroethane, also known as ethyl chloride, is used as a solvent, refrigerant and local anesthetic, the IFS said in a statement.
—Mike Morris, Houston Chronicle, 30 Mar. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1860, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near ethyl chloride
Cite this Entry
“Ethyl chloride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethyl%20chloride. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
ethyl chloride
noun
: a colorless pungent flammable gaseous or volatile liquid C2H5Cl used especially as a topical anesthetic
More from Merriam-Webster on ethyl chloride
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ethyl chloride
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share