metaldehyden.
/mɛˈtaldᵻhʌɪd/, /mᵻˈtaldᵻhʌɪd/, U.S. /məˈtældəˌhaɪd/ Chemistry.
A low-molecular-weight solid polymer of acetaldehyde, (C2H4O)n, used as a slug poison and as a portable fuel for cooking and heating. Cf. Meta n.2
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the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > aldehydes or alkanals > [noun] > miscellaneous named aldehydes > others
acrolein1841
metaldehyde1841
trichlorocetaldehyde1845
valeral1852
toluic aldehyde1857
glyoxal1858
acraldehyde1864
propionic aldehyde1866
lauric aldehyde, ether1868
salicylaldehyde1869
dialdane1876
isovaleraldehyde1883
rhodinal1892
propenal1894
oxaldehyde1895
methylglyoxal1898
hadromal1899
malondialdehyde1904
pyruvic aldehyde1909
trioxan1915
plasmal1925
1841 W. T. Brande Man. Chem. 1330 By long keeping, aldehyd spontaneously changes into two isomeric compounds, metaldehyd, and elaldehyd; the former solid, the latter liquid.
1852 W. Gregory Handbk. Org. Chem. (ed. 3) 206 When long kept, even in sealed tubes, aldehyde is transformed into two polymeric modifications, namely, metaldehyde, a hard crystalline inodorous solid, and elaldehyde, which is liquid.
1885 I. Remsen Introd. Study Compounds of Carbon (1888) 49 Metaldehyde.
1949 New Biol. 6 29 The most usual and one of the most successful methods of killing large numbers is to put out heaps of bran mixed with metaldehyde—the bran attracts the slugs which feed on the mixture, while the metaldehyde causes them to slime so profusely that they remain on the surface of the soil in close proximity to the bait.
1974 Country Life 24 Oct. 1228/1 Work at the Terrington EHF has compared metaldehyde and methiocarb [slug] pellet baits.
1993 Harrowsmith June 18/3 A common slug bait called metaldehyde..is another cruel killer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1841