Dichloro
/ˌdaɪˈklɔːroʊ/noun
A chemical prefix meaning “containing two chlorine atoms.”
Did you know?The chlorine element name ultimately comes from Greek *chlōrós* meaning “pale green,” so even this lab prefix carries a color-root tied to the element’s eerie green gas.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
chlōrós
“pale green, greenish-yellow”
Late 18th Century
French
chlore
“chlorine (as a chemical name)”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
chloro-
“chlorine; chlorine-containing”
Ancient Greek
Greek
di-
“two, twice”
19th Century
English
dichloro-
“a combining form indicating two chlorine atoms or two chlorine substitutions”