trichloroacetic acid: Meaning and Definition of

tri•chlo'ro•a•ce'tic ac'id

Pronunciation: (trī-klôr'ō-u-sē'tik, -set'ik, -klōr'-, -klôr"-, -klōr"-), [key]
— Chem. Chem.
  1. a toxic, deliquescent, and colorless crystalline compound, CHClO, soluble in water, alcohol, and ether: used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, herbicides, and other chemicals, and as a reagent for the detection of albumin. Abbr.: TCA
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.