noun
- Plural of calomel; a white crystalline compound of mercury and chlorine (mercury(I) chloride), formerly used as a laxative and in medicine.
Usage: chemistry; medicine; archaic
Examples
- Calomel was once a common ingredient in laxative preparations.
- The chemist identified the white powder as calomel under the microscope.
- Nineteenth-century physicians prescribed calomel for various ailments.
- Calomel's use in medicine has largely been discontinued due to mercury toxicity concerns.