/ English Dictionary |
CFC
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A fluorocarbon with chlorine; formerly used as a refrigerant and as a propellant in aerosol cans
Example:
the chlorine in CFCs causes depletion of atmospheric ozone
Synonyms:
CFC; chlorofluorocarbon
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("CFC" is a kind of...):
pollutant (waste matter that contaminates the water or air or soil)
fluorocarbon (a halocarbon in which some hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine; used in refrigerators and aerosols)
greenhouse emission; greenhouse gas (a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "CFC"):
HCFC; hydrochlorofluorocarbon (a fluorocarbon that is replacing chlorofluorocarbon as a refrigerant and propellant in aerosol cans; considered to be somewhat less destructive to the atmosphere)
Freon (any one or more chlorofluorocarbons (or related compounds) that are used as an aerosol propellant, organic solvent, or refrigerant)