: 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 Back then, scientists compared specimens from decades earlier — before the advent of DDT — to the eggs of contemporary birds, meticulously linking increasing levels of the pesticide to progressively thinner shells that would eventually shatter under the weight of a roosting parent. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024 Toxicology tests also revealed trace amounts of DDE, a breakdown product of the pesticide DDT, which has been banned in the United States since the early 1970s. Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Toxicology testing also revealed trace amounts of DDE, a breakdown product of the pesticide DDT, the WCS said. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2024 Sharpe and the institute believe the industrial pesticide DDT curtailed breeding on the island. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Staff at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which spans the river floodplain from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, say a combination of habitat restoration projects and the banning of the pesticide DDT are allowing eagles to flourish. Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 Clues pointing to the radioactive waste emerged in the process of sorting through this DDT history. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Here’s the latest mind-boggling story about undersea pollution by my L.A. Times colleague Rosanna Xia, who also broke the DDT story with this epic investigation in 2020. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2024 From the 1930s to the 70s, the two sites were commonly used as dumping grounds for industrial waste, including byproducts from DDT manufacturing, a chemical used as an insecticide that was banned in 1972. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'DDT.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

dichlor- + diphenyl + trichlor- (from tri- + chlor-)

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of DDT was in 1943

Dictionary Entries Near DDT

Cite this Entry

“DDT.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DDT. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

: a colorless formerly used insecticide that is poisonous to many animals with backbones

Medical Definition

: 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!