trichloroacetic acid

American

[trahy-klawr-oh-uh-see-tik, -set-ik, -klohr-, -klawr-, -klohr-] / traɪˈklɔr oʊ əˈsi tɪk, -ˈsɛt ɪk, -ˈkloʊr-, -ˌklɔr-, -ˌkloʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

a toxic, deliquescent, and colorless crystalline compound, C 2 HCl 3 O 2 , soluble in water, alcohol, and ether: used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, herbicides, and other chemicals, and as a reagent for the detection of albumin. TCA

trichloroacetic acid British

/ -ˈsɛtɪk, traɪˌklɔːrəʊəˈsiːtɪk /

noun

a corrosive deliquescent crystalline acid with a characteristic odour, used as a veterinary astringent and antiseptic. Formula: CCl 3 COOH

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

trichloroacetic acid Scientific

/ trī-klôr′ō-ə-sē′tĭk /

A colorless, deliquescent, corrosive, crystalline compound used as a herbicide and topically as an astringent and antiseptic. Chemical formula: C ₂ Cl ₃ O ₂ H.

Etymology

Origin of trichloroacetic acid

First recorded in 1880–85; tri- + chloro- ² + acetic acid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To do so he started with a cheeky little chardonnay, treated it with ice-cold trichloroacetic acid and ethanol to precipitate any glycoproteins, then digested those glycoproteins into smaller molecules called peptides that can be analysed by mass spectroscopy.

From Economist

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023