tetrachloride
Meaning
a chemical compound containing four chlorine atoms combined with another element or radical.
Structure
Usage
carbon tetrachloride was once widely used as a solvent and fire extinguisher.
the laboratory procedure involved the careful distillation of silicon tetrachloride.
the formation of tin tetrachloride is a classic example of a direct halogenation reaction.
Etymology
the word 'tetrachloride' is a modern scientific compound formed from two classical elements. the first part, 'tetra-', is a direct borrowing from the greek prefix meaning 'four', a stable numerical concept since antiquity. the second part, 'chloride', originates from 'chlorine', named for its greenish-yellow color (from greek 'khlōros'), combined with the suffix '-ide' used systematically in chemistry to denote a compound where one element is more electronegative. the term's logic is transparently descriptive, following the convention of using greek numerical prefixes to specify the quantity of atoms (four chlorine atoms) bonded within a simple binary compound.
Analysis
- tetra: from greek 'tetra-', meaning 'four'. a numerical combining form. - chloride: from modern english 'chlorine' (from greek 'khlōros', meaning 'greenish-yellow') + the chemical suffix '-ide', indicating a binary compound.