antichlor: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Extremely Rare / Technical Jargon
UK/ˈæntiˌklɔː(r)/US/ˈæntiˌklɔːr/ /ˈæntaɪˌklɔːr/

Technical / Historical (chemical and textile industries)

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Quick answer

What does “antichlor” mean?

A substance used in chemistry and textile processing to remove excess chlorine or hypochlorite after a bleaching process.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A substance used in chemistry and textile processing to remove excess chlorine or hypochlorite after a bleaching process.

In a broader historical or technical context, any agent that neutralizes or removes chlorine residues, preventing damage or discolouration of materials.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant regional differences in meaning or use. The term is equally obscure in both varieties.

Connotations

Technical, industrial, dated.

Frequency

Vanishingly rare outside of very specific historical texts or highly specialised technical discussions in industrial chemistry.

Grammar

How to Use “antichlor” in a Sentence

The [material] was treated with [antichlor] to [remove chlorine].[Antichlor] is applied after the bleaching process.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
use an antichlorapply the antichlorsodium thiosulfate as an antichlor
medium
antichlor treatmentantichlor solutionafter bleaching, the antichlor
weak
effective antichlorcommon antichlorindustrial antichlor

Examples

Examples of “antichlor” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The fabric must be antichlored before the final rinse.
  • They antichlor the pulp to prevent degradation.

American English

  • The material needs to be antichlored after bleaching.
  • We antichlor the batch to neutralize residual chlorine.

adverb

British English

  • The process was completed antichlorly. (Highly contrived, not natural)

American English

  • (No natural adverbial use exists.)

adjective

British English

  • The antichlor rinse is a critical step.
  • An antichlor agent like thiosulfate is added.

American English

  • The antichlor treatment prevents yellowing.
  • Follow with an antichlor solution.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used in general business. Potentially in historical procurement documents for textile or paper manufacturing.

Academic

May appear in historical chemistry papers, texts on the history of industrial processes, or very specialised chemical engineering contexts.

Everyday

Never used.

Technical

Primary domain. Used to describe a specific step in industrial bleaching sequences for textiles or paper.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “antichlor”

Strong

sodium thiosulfate (specific)sodium bisulfite (specific)

Neutral

chlorine neutralizerdechlorinating agent

Weak

neutralizing agentrinse agent

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “antichlor”

chlorinating agentbleachhypochlorite

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “antichlor”

  • Misspelling as 'antichlore' or 'anti-chlor'.
  • Using it as a synonym for 'antiseptic' or 'antibacterial'.
  • Assuming it is a common modern term.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It is an extremely rare, technical, and largely historical term from industrial chemistry and textile manufacturing.

Sodium thiosulfate (photographer's 'hypo') is a classic example, used to fix photographs by removing unexposed silver halides and similarly used to neutralize chlorine.

You should not. It would not be understood. Use terms like 'dechlorinator' (e.g., for aquarium water) or 'chlorine neutralizer' in general contexts.

No. An antioxidant inhibits oxidation. An antichlor specifically removes or neutralizes chlorine compounds. Their functions and chemical targets are different.

A substance used in chemistry and textile processing to remove excess chlorine or hypochlorite after a bleaching process.

Antichlor is usually technical / historical (chemical and textile industries) in register.

Antichlor: in British English it is pronounced /ˈæntiˌklɔː(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈæntiˌklɔːr/ /ˈæntaɪˌklɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • None. The term is purely technical.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: ANTI-CHLOR(ine). It works *against* leftover chlorine.

Conceptual Metaphor

A CLEANER FOR THE CLEANER: Bleach cleans/whitens, but antichlor cleans away the harmful residue of the cleaner itself.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
To prevent the linen from weakening, they used a(n) to neutralise the leftover bleach.
Multiple Choice

In which industrial process would you most historically encounter the term 'antichlor'?