Definition

Noun: * A chemical compound, specifically chloropicrin, which is a heavy, colorless, and insoluble liquid. It is a powerful irritant that causes severe tearing (lachrymation) and vomiting. Its primary uses are as a soil fumigant (pesticide) and as a chemical agent in tear gas.

Usage

• As a specific chemical agent: The term is used in scientific, military, and agricultural contexts to refer to the compound chloropicrin.
  • The use of nitrochloroform as a pesticide is strictly regulated due to its high toxicity.
  • Historical military manuals describe nitrochloroform as a component of chemical warfare agents.

Advanced Usage

• The word is highly technical and is almost exclusively found in specialized literature concerning chemistry, history of warfare, or agricultural science. It is not used in everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Chloropicrin (n): The more common systematic name for the same chemical compound (CCl₃NO₂). This term is often used interchangeably with "nitrochloroform" in technical writing.
  • Chloropicrin is synthesized by the reaction of picric acid with bleach.

Synonyms

• Chloropicrin: The direct synonym and more frequently used technical name.
• Tear gas agent: A functional description of one of its uses, though this is a category, not a precise synonym.
• Soil fumigant: A functional description of its agricultural use.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "nitrochloroform" has only one specific meaning: it refers uniquely to the chemical compound chloropicrin. It does not have other general or figurative meanings.

Noun

1. a heavy colorless insoluble liquid compound that causes tears and vomiting; used as a pesticide and as tear gas