: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the creature eventually gets munched on by a bigger fish, the concentration of DDT in the new predator's bloodstream only heightens. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025 Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in three parts in the magazine in 1962 and later as a book, alerted the country to the devastation of the pesticide DDT and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025 Lynch wiggled out and hit Bella with a reverse DDT. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 By the time the bald eagle was listed as threatened or endangered in all lower 48 states in 1978, DDT had been outlawed, a regulation that the ESA helped enforce, experts say. Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for DDT

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“DDT.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DDT. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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!