noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:klôʹrēn
General-American:/ˈklɔɹin/
Received-Pronunciation:klôʹrēn
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈklɔːɹiːn/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
South-Asia:/ˈkhlorɪn/
South-Asia:/ˈkhlɔrɪn/
South-Asia:/-in/
rhymes with -ɔːɹiːn
CMU ARPABET:K L AO1 R IY0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: E925
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: halogen
2
noun
Meaning 2
A single atom of this element.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A chlorine-based bleach or disinfectant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; best known as a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt (as in sea water)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Cl, atomic number 17
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: chemical element, element, gas, halogen
Narrower terms: radiochlorine
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵhelh3- Proto-Hellenic *khlōrós Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós) Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English chlorine Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1810 from Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”) + -ine.
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
chloor
— chemical element
Albanian:
klor
— chemical element
Arabic:
كُلُور
(kulūr)
— chemical element
Armenian:
քլոր
(kʻlor)
— chemical element
Asturian:
cloru
— chemical element
Azerbaijani:
قلور
(xulōr)
— chemical element
Azerbaijani:
قُلوٓر
(xulōr)
— chemical element
Azerbaijani:
xlor
— chemical element
Basque:
kloroa
— chemical element
Belarusian:
хлор
(xlor)
— chemical element
Bengali:
ক্লোরিন
(klōrin)
— chemical element
Breton:
klor
— chemical element
Bulgarian:
хлор
(hlor)
— chemical element
Burmese:
ကလိုရင်း
(ka.luirang:)
— chemical element
