dicofol

[ dahy-koh-fawl, -fol ]

noun

1. a white crystalline solid, C 14 H 9 Cl 5 O, derived from DDT and used to protect crops from mites.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dicofol¹

First recorded in 1940–45; a pharmaceutical coinage

Example Sentences

A 2007 study by scientists with the California Department of Public Health found that babies born to women living near fields where either dicofol or endosulfan had been used during the course of their pregnancy were more likely to develop autism than those who did not.

From Salon

Another study from 2007 found that mothers who lived near fields with the highest applications of two now-banned pesticides – endosulfan and dicofol – were six times more likely to have kids with autism spectrum disorders.

From Scientific American