: a heavy oily poisonous liquid Pb(C2H5)4 used especially formerly as an antiknock agent
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebVirtually every small airplane in the US burns fuel containing tetraethyl lead (TEL), an additive introduced in the 1920s to boost octane levels. David Yanofsky, Quartz, 16 June 2022 But humanity didn’t enter uncharted territory until the first gallon of gasoline was sold with tetraethyl lead in 1923. Michael J. Coren, Quartz, 16 June 2022 There was tetraethyl lead, used in making gasoline, sludge, asphalt, hydrocarbon liquids and vapors, solvents such as kerosene, acidic residue and asbestos. Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Apr. 2022 One of the greatest historical sources of lead exposure was the use of tetraethyl lead in petrol at the beginning of the 20th century. Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021 Frank Howard of Standard Oil argued that tetraethyl lead was diluted at over 1,000 to 1 in gasoline and therefore posed no risk to the average person. Bill Kovarik, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2021 Similarly, several decades later, the introduction of tetraethyl lead into gasoline raised environmental concerns, but was tolerated as a necessary lubricant for the adoption of the internal combustion engine.New York Times, 18 June 2018 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1923, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
tetraethyl lead
noun
tet·ra·eth·yl lead ˌte-trə-ˌeth-əl-ˈled
: a heavy oily poisonous liquid Pb(C2H5)4 used as an antiknock agent in gasoline