Definition of "perchloroethylene" []

• A colorless, nonflammable organic solvent, Cl2C:CCl2, used in dry-cleaning solutions and as an industrial solvent. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Problem Product: It may make your floors look good, but a chemical in most of them called perchloroethylene can cause horrific side effects and even death."
• "Many dry cleaners will be required to find new solvents to replace a widely used cleaning agent called perchloroethylene, or perc, by 2020."
• "Conventional dry cleaners use the industrial solvent perchloroethylene, which is toxic to humans and pollutes the air, says the Environmental Protection Agency."