Chlorate
/ˈklɔːr.eɪt/noun
A salt or ester of chloric acid containing the chlorate ion, ClO₃⁻.
Did you know?Potassium chlorate was historically used in match heads because it supplies oxygen during ignition, making combustion dramatically easier.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰelh₃-
“To shine or have a yellow-green color; the proposed ancient root behind Greek khlōros.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
khlōros (χλωρός)
“Pale green, yellowish-green, or fresh; the source of the scientific element name.”
1810s
French
chlore
“Chlorine, named from the gas’s distinctive greenish-yellow color; the term was introduced by André-Marie Ampère.”
1830s
English
chlorate
“A salt of chloric acid, formed in scientific chemical naming from chlor- plus the suffix -ate.”
Modern English
English
chlorate
“A compound containing the chlorate ion, commonly encountered in oxidizing chemicals and pyrotechnic compositions.”
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