dieldrin

[ deel-drin ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a light tan, crystalline, water-insoluble, poisonous solid, C 12 H 8 OCl 6 , used as an insecticide: manufacture and use have been discontinued in the U.S.

dieldrin

/ ˈdiːldrɪn /

noun

1. a crystalline insoluble substance, consisting of a chlorinated derivative of naphthalene: a contact insecticide the use of which is now restricted as it accumulates in the tissues of animals. Formula: C 12 H 8 OCl 6

dieldrin

/ dēl′drĭn /

1. A light tan, toxic, carcinogenic compound used as an insecticide on fruit, soil, and seed, and in controlling tsetse flies and other carriers of tropical diseases. Chemical formula: C 12 H 8 Cl 6 O.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dieldrin¹

First recorded in 1945–50; Diel(s-Al)d(e)r (reaction) ( def ) + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of dieldrin¹

C20: from Diel ( s-Al ) d ( e ) r ( reaction ) + -in

Example Sentences

The housing projects were explicitly segregated; Black workers were placed closer to the shipyards, which became polluted with the pesticides DDT and dieldrin that were packaged and shipped from the area.

From Salon

As pollution of crops and foodstuffs with pesticides increases, the continued use of persistent chemicals such as the chlorinated hydrocarbons, DDT and dieldrin, is being challenged.

From Nature

From the beginning of 1970, DDT will also be banned in Sweden for domestic purposes … In Britain, the use of dieldrin and aldrin on spring sown seed has been banned since 1967, and a working party of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals is now reviewing the use of these pesticides in a wider context.

From Nature

Dieldrin is a breakdown product of the insecticide aldrin, which was banned for crop use in 1970.

From Seattle Times

The soil, contaminated with dieldrin, would pose ingestion, inhalation and skin contact hazards for new residents, but “should be safe for farm use,” regulators said in a response to public comments on the controversial proposal.

From Seattle Times