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formalin

formalin

2 7.5
A liquid of water and formaldehyde used to kill germs and keep dead animals or plants for study
  • noun
  • /fɔːrˈmælɪn/
  • Specialized
: formalina
  • Rodent carcasses were fixed in 10% formalin and preserved in 70% ethanol as permanent voucher specimens.
  • 10% formalin
  • formalin solution
  • buffered formalin

Examples

  • IHC analysis was performed on tissue fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Next, I dissected the tissue around the ring and placed it en bloc in formalin.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • For instance, a brain must be fixed in a formalin solution for at least two weeks before examination.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The fluid should be placed in a standard formalin specimen bottle.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Since the specimen in this case report was already fixed in formalin, we were not able to use such stain.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The samples that could not be analyzed immediately were preserved using 10% formalin until they were examined.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The specimens had been fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin.

    Academic text (1995)
  • After sampling, fish were anesthetized using benzocaine (up to 40 mg/l), euthanized, and preserved in 4% formalin solution.

    Academic text (2018)
  • For instance, a brain must be fixed in a formalin solution for at least two weeks before examination.

  • The samples that could not be analyzed immediately were preserved using 10% formalin until they were examined.

Synonyms

antiseptic
vsformalin
  • Specialized
10 4.9

Free from germs and able to kill them

is a specific 10 percent chemical solution used to disinfect and preserve specimens
disinfectant
vsformalin
3 3.5

Able to kill germs to stop infection

is a specific chemical example rather than a general infection-preventing agent
formol
vsformalin
  • UK
1 8.6

A 10% formaldehyde solution used to kill germs and preserve body tissues

is the same substance but presented as an alternate spelling

Surface Forms

formalin singular
formalins plural

Etymology

Formalin comes from the name of the chemical formaldehyde, which is the preservative in the liquid. The word formaldehyde takes its first part from formica (Latin for 'ant') because formic acid was first found in ants, so thinking of that origin can help you remember formalin as the liquid used to keep specimens preserved.