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DDT
noun
: a colorless odorless water-insoluble insecticide C14H9Cl5 that is an aromatic organochlorine banned in the U.S. that tends to accumulate and persist in ecosystems and has toxic effects on many vertebrates
Examples of DDT in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bald eagles were among the first animals listed on the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and a coinciding ban on DDT allowed populations to start successfully reproducing again.
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Jamie Siebrase, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
Pesticide called 'new DDT' has been found in CT waterways.
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Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2025
In 1972, the government banned the pesticide DDT, which had caused their numbers to dwindle.
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Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Their population rebounded from the brink of extinction thanks to the banning of DDT in 1972 and successful campaigns to protect their habitat and encourage their reproduction.
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Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
dichlor- + diphenyl + trichlor- (from tri- + chlor-)
First Known Use
1943, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near DDT
Cite this Entry
“DDT.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DDT. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
DDT
noun
: a colorless formerly used insecticide that is poisonous to many animals with backbones
Medical Definition
DDT
noun
: a colorless odorless water-insoluble crystalline insecticide C14H9Cl5 that tends to accumulate in ecosystems and has toxic effects on many vertebrates
called also chlorophenothane, dicophane
More from Merriam-Webster on DDT
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about DDT
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