To treat or disinfect something by adding chlorine or a chlorine compound to it.
From 'chloral' + '-ize' (verb-forming suffix). 'Chloral' itself comes from chlorine combined with alcohol in the 19th century during early chemical experimentation.
Chloral hydrate, the product of chloralizing alcohol, was once used as a 'knockout drug' in old crime stories and became famous (or infamous) as the compound in the phrase 'slip them a Mickey.'
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