n.
Pronunciation: ˌ klo ̇ r- ō - ˌ flo ̇ r- ō - ' kär-b ə n, - ˌ flu ̇ r-
Function: noun
Date: 1949
: any of several simple gaseous compounds that contain carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen, that are used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, and aerosol propellants and in the manufacture of plastic foams, and that are believed to be a major cause of stratospheric ozone depletion ― abbreviation CFC