DDT

abbr. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a colourless chlorinated hydrocarbon used as an insecticide.

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noun

an insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans; banned in the United States since 1972

• Syn: ↑dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

• Hypernyms: ↑insecticide, ↑insect powder, ↑pollutant

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\\|dē(ˌ)dēˈtē\ noun (-s)

Etymology: dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane

: a colorless odorless water-insoluble crystalline insecticide (ClC₆H₄)₂CHCCl₃ usually made from chloral and chlorobenzene and used especially against body lice, houseflies, mosquitoes, and agricultural pests — called also chlorophenothane, dicophane

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Chem.

a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C₁₄H₉Cl₅, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S. since 1973. Also called dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, chlorophenothane.

[d(ichloro)d(iphenyl)t(richloroethane)]

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DDT UK [ˌdiː diː ˈtiː] US [ˌdi di ˈti] noun [uncountable]

a poisonous chemical used for killing insects that destroy crops It also kills animals and is dangerous to humans, so is no longer allowed in many countries. This kind of chemical is called a pesticide or an insecticide .

Thesaurus: controlling weeds, insects and pests_hyponym

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DDT (no periods) or D.D.T.,

a very powerful, odorless insecticide. Formula: C₁₄H₉Cl₅

╂[< d(ichloro)d(iphenyl)-t(richloroethane), the chemical name of the substance]

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abbr. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a synthetic organic compound introduced in the 1940s and used as an insecticide. Like other chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT tends to persist in the environment and become concentrated in animals at the head of the food chain. Its use is now banned in many countries. ● Chem. formula: CCl₃CH(C₆H₄Cl)₂

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/ˌdiːˌdiːˈtiː/ noun [noncount]

: a poisonous chemical that was used especially in the past to protect plants from insects and that is now banned in the U.S.

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DDT [DDT] [ˌdiː diː ˈtiː] [ˌdiː diː ˈtiː] noun uncountable

a chemical used, especially in the past, for killing insects that harm crops