DDT

abbreviation for

, Chemistry.

1. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane: a potent synthetic insecticide, C 14 H 9 Cl 5 , initially developed in the 1940s to combat insect-borne human diseases and later found to be highly and adversely persistent in the environment: agricultural use now prohibited in many countries, including, since 1972, the United States.

DDT

noun

1. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; a colourless odourless substance used as an insecticide. It is toxic to animals and is known to accumulate in the tissues. It is now banned in the UK

DDT

/ dē′dē-tē′ /

1. Short for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. A powerful insecticide that is also poisonous to humans and animals. It remains active in the environment for many years and has been banned in the United States for most uses since 1972 but is still in use in some countries in which malaria is endemic. Chemical formula: C 14 H 9 Cl 5 .

DDT

1. A colorless insecticide that kills on contact. It is poisonous to humans and animals when swallowed or absorbed through the skin. DDT is an abbreviation for d ichloro d iphenyl t richloroethane.

Notes

Although DDT, when it was first invented, was considered a great advance in protecting crops from insect damage and in combating diseases spread by insects (such as malaria ), discoveries led to its ban in many countries. Residue from DDT has been shown to remain in the ecosystem and the food chain long after its original use, causing harm and even death to animals considered harmless or useful to man.

Word History and Origins

Origin of DDT¹

d(ichloro)d(iphenyl)t(richloroethane)

Example Sentences

Peregrine falcon numbers in Yosemite and across the country plummeted from the 1950s to the 1970s due to DDT poisoning.

From Los Angeles Times

The water board demanded the cities to submit plans by April to scan these areas for cancer-causing gamma radiation and sample for banned pesticides, including DDT.

From Los Angeles Times

The use of the insecticide DDT, as well as habitat destruction, played a significant role in the birds’ decline.

From Seattle Times

Scientists have found DDT in zooplankton and deep-sea fish off the coast of L.A., indicating the toxic chemical might be infiltrating the base of the food web.

From Los Angeles Times

"We are still seeing this DDT contamination in deep-sea organisms and ocean sediments more than 50 years after they were dumped there," said Hoh.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• defoliant
• fungicide
• insecticide
• pesticide