noun
: a deliquescent salt CaCl 2 obtained chiefly as a by-product in making soda ash and other chemicals, appearing in its anhydrous state as a white porous solid used as a drying and dehumidifying agent and in a more or less hydrated state as a solid, as colorless flakes, or in water solution used for controlling dust and ice on roads, for freezeproofing, in freezing mixtures and refrigeration brine, and with concrete as an accelerator or aid in curing