DDT

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)dē-ˈtē 

: 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

In the Chesapeake Bay, osprey chicks are dying in their nests at rates not seen since the DDT era. — Mark Robichaux, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026

Ruca turned things around by planting Lyra with a reversal DDT and a Sol Snatcher for the win. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Bedbug populations in developed countries were decimated after World War II due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026

Over several decades, hundreds and hundreds of tons — hundreds of thousands of gallons — of acid waste from the pesticide DDT and even DDT itself were dumped into the ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula and near Catalina Island. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

DDT

noun

ˌdēd-(ˌ)ē-ˈtē 

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

Medical Definition

DDT

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)dē-ˈtē 

: 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