chlorinating
|chlor-i-nate-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈklɔːrəneɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˈklɒrɪneɪt/
(chlorinate)
treat or react with chlorine
Etymology
'chlorinate' originates from the element name 'chlorine' plus the chemical verb-forming suffix '-ate'. 'Chlorine' itself comes from Greek 'khlōros' meaning 'greenish-yellow'.
'chlorine' was named in modern chemistry (early 19th century) from Greek 'khlōros' via New Latin/French; the verb 'chlorinate' was formed in English in the 19th century by combining 'chlorine' with the suffix '-ate' to mean 'treat with chlorine'.
Initially it meant 'to combine or treat with chlorine' in a chemical or disinfecting sense; over time the core meaning has remained largely the same, applied broadly to disinfection, bleaching, and chemical chlorination processes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of treating something with chlorine (gerund use of 'chlorinate').
Chlorinating the pool regularly helps prevent algae growth.
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Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'chlorinate'; performing the action of treating or combining with chlorine (eg. to disinfect, bleach, or add chlorine chemically).
The water plant is chlorinating the supply to ensure it meets safety standards.
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Adjective 1
acting to apply or cause chlorination; causing chlorine to be added ('a chlorinating agent').
They used a chlorinating chemical to treat the contaminated water.
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Last updated: 2025/10/19 08:33