Chlorine
/ˈklɔːriːn/noun
A toxic, greenish-yellow chemical element used in disinfectants and industrial processes.
Did you know?The name was coined in 1810 by Humphry Davy from Greek khlōros, meaning “pale green” or “fresh green,” because the gas’s color was impossible to ignore.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χλωρός (khlōros)
“pale green, greenish-yellow, fresh, sallow”
1810
English
chlorine
“a proposed name for the newly isolated greenish gas”
19th Century
English
chlorine
“the chemical element, recognized as a distinct substance”
Modern English
English
chlorine
“the element chlorine, a reactive halogen gas and its compounds”
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