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Meaning & use

chlorinate

verb·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈklɔːrɪneɪt/
US/ˈklɔːrəneɪt/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive

    To add chlorine to water, especially to make it safe to drink or swim in.

    Grammar: Takes an object: chlorinate the pool.

    Patterns

    • chlorinate something
    • chlorinate the water
    • chlorinate a pool

    The city chlorinates its drinking water to kill bacteria.

    You should chlorinate the pool regularly during the summer.

    They chlorinated the well after the flood.

  2. verbtransitivetechnical

    To treat a substance with chlorine, often to disinfect or bleach it.

    Grammar: Takes an object: chlorinate the solution.

    Patterns

    • chlorinate something
    • chlorinate a solution

    The lab technician chlorinated the sample before testing.

    Paper can be chlorinated to make it whiter.

Word forms

third person singularchlorinates
past tensechlorinated
past participlechlorinated
-ing formchlorinating

Common combinations

chlorinate water
They chlorinate the water to make it safe.
chlorinate a pool
We need to chlorinate the pool before swimming.
heavily chlorinated
The water was heavily chlorinated and smelled strong.
chlorinated water
Chlorinated water is common in many cities.

Synonyms and how they differ

disinfect
Use 'disinfect' for killing germs on surfaces or in water, often with chemicals other than chlorine; 'chlorinate' specifically means adding chlorine.
purify
Use 'purify' for making something pure, often by removing harmful substances; 'chlorinate' is one method of purification.

Word family

chlorination noun
The process of adding chlorine to water.
chlorine noun
The chemical element used in chlorination.
chlorinated adjective
Describing water or a substance that has had chlorine added.

Commonly confused: chlorinate or chloride? chlorinate or fluoridate?

chlorinate vs chloride

Chloride is a compound of chlorine with another element, like sodium chloride (salt). Chlorinate means to add chlorine, not chloride.

chlorinate vs fluoridate

Fluoridate means to add fluoride to water, often for dental health. Chlorinate means to add chlorine, usually for disinfection.

Practice

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