chloral

[klawr-uh l, klohr-] /ˈklɔr əl, ˈkloʊr-/
noun
1.
Also called trichloroacetaldehyde, trichloroacetic acid aldehyde. a colorless, oily liquid, C 2 Cl 3 HO, 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 chloral hydrate. Pharmacology. a white, crystalline solid, C 2 H 3 Cl 3 O 2 , formed by combining liquid chloral with water: used as a hypnotic.
Origin
1825-35; chlor-2 + -al3
British Dictionary definitions for chloral hydrate

chloral hydrate

noun
1.
a colourless crystalline soluble solid produced by the reaction of chloral with water and used as a sedative and hypnotic; 2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-ethanediol. Formula: CCl3CH(OH)2

chloral

/ˈklɔːrəl/
noun
1.
a colourless oily liquid with a pungent odour, made from chlorine and acetaldehyde and used in preparing chloral hydrate and DDT; trichloroacetaldehyde
2.
short for chloral hydrate
Word Origin and History for chloral hydrate

chloral

n.

colorless liquid formed by the action of chlorine on alcohol, apparently coined by German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1833 from elements from chlorine + alcohol. Later chiefly in chloral hydrate (1874).

chloral hydrate in Medicine

chloral hydrate chlo·ral hydrate (klôr'əl)
n.
A crystalline compound used medicinally as a sedative and hypnotic.

Encyclopedia Article for chloral hydrate

the first synthetically produced sedative-hypnotic drug, commonly used in the late 19th century to treat insomnia and still occasionally used to reduce anxiety or produce sleep before surgery. Chloral hydrate acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, with sedative effects similar to those of barbiturates.

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