Real Dictionary

chloroform in American English
a toxic, carcinogenic, colorless, volatile liquid, CHCl3, with a sweet taste, used as a solvent, fumigant, etc. and, formerly, as a general anesthetic
to anesthetize with chloroform
noun: a colorless, volatile, nonflammable, slightly water-soluble, pungent, sweet-tasting liquid, CHCl3, usually derived from acetone, acetaldehyde, or ethyl alcohol by the reaction of chloride of lime: used chiefly in medicine as a solvent and formerly as an a
transitive verb: to administer chloroform to, esp. in order to anesthetize, make unconscious, or kill

chloroform in British English
noun: a heavy volatile liquid with a sweet taste and odour, used as a solvent and cleansing agent and in refrigerants: formerly used as an inhalation anaesthetic. Formula: CHCl3

chloroform in the Pharmaceutical Industry
noun: Chloroform is a colorless liquid with a strong, sweet smell, used in propellants and resins, as a solvent, and sometimes as an anesthetic.