formaldehyde
UK[fɔːˈmældɪhaɪd]US[fɔːrˈmældɪhaɪd]
n
A colorless, strong-smelling gas used in solution as a preservative and disinfectant.
Morpheme Breakdown
form
aldehyde
form
shape
aldehyde
chemical compound
Etymology
The word 'formaldehyde' is a modern scientific compound, created by blending 'formic' and 'aldehyde'. The 'form-' component traces back to Latin 'formica', meaning 'ant', as formic acid was first distilled from ants. The '-aldehyde' suffix originates from a 19th-century chemical term coined from 'alcohol dehydrogenatum', describing a compound derived from alcohol. Thus, formaldehyde's name literally denotes the aldehyde derived from formic acid, illustrating the systematic naming conventions of organic chemistry where a source compound and a functional group are combined to describe a new substance.
Analysis
Structure: form (shape) + aldehyde (chemical compound)
- form: From Latin 'forma' (shape, mold, beauty). In this word, it refers to formic acid, from which formaldehyde was first derived.
- aldehyde: A chemical term derived from the Latin phrase 'alcohol dehydrogenatum' (alcohol deprived of hydrogen), referring to a class of organic compounds.
Examples
Formaldehyde is commonly used in laboratories to preserve biological specimens.
The strong odor of formaldehyde is noticeable in some new building materials.
Regulations limit the amount of formaldehyde emissions from pressed wood products.