perchloroethylene

noun

per·​chlo·​ro·​eth·​y·​lene (ˌ)pər-ˌklȯr-ō-ˈe-thə-ˌlēn How to pronounce perchloroethylene (audio)
: a colorless nonflammable toxic liquid C2Cl4 used often as a solvent in dry cleaning and for removal of grease from metals

Examples of perchloroethylene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The groundwater in the area is contaminated with harmful chemicals including trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024 The most notable contaminant, perchloroethylene (PCE), is a cleaning solvent that has been linked to several types of cancer. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024 Between 1953 and 1987, the base's water supply was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), exceeding safe limits by up to 3,400 times. Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 An oil or grease stain can be cleaned using paper and then a blotter with perchloroethylene. Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 What few locals know, let alone tourists, is that the city also houses one of the largest dry cleaning Superfund sites in the U.S. From 1952 to 2008, Tuchman Cleaners laundered clothes using perchloroethylene, or PERC, a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen. Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2023 Additional remediation efforts against perchloroethylene, a solvent used in dry cleaning, continued into the 2010s. Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2023 Indoor air testing at Hill’s residence and two others nearby continued to show high levels of PCE, or perchloroethylene, and related chemicals, according to a May report from Wilcox to the IDEM. Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020 This project began when residents of this Northeast Denver community saw examples of spills of perchloroethylene (PERC), a solvent commonly used in dry cleaning, potentially endangering health in other Denver neighborhoods. Guest, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perchloroethylene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perchloroethylene was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near perchloroethylene

Cite this Entry

“Perchloroethylene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perchloroethylene. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

perchloroethylene

noun
per·​chlo·​ro·​eth·​y·​lene ˌpər-ˌklōr-ō-ˈeth-ə-ˌlēn How to pronounce perchloroethylene (audio)
variants also perchlorethylene
: a toxic nonflammable carcinogenic liquid C2Cl4 often used as a solvent in dry cleaning and for removal of grease from metals

called also perc, tetrachloroethylene

More from Merriam-Webster on perchloroethylene

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