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

Orton hit his patented draping DDT on Priest and went for it on Williams, but Zayn stopped him and hit a blue thunderbomb. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026

Conventional wisdom would have suggested that these shimmering patches were pesticide blooms, an unfortunate legacy from past generations of conservators who sprayed their collections with pesticides such as DDT to keep insects and molds at bay. —Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026

The peregrine falcon faced near-extinction in the UK in the 1950s before it was rescued by the banning of the pesticide DDT and stronger legal reinforcements. —Will Barker, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 2026

Data helped usher in legislation that banned the use of the insecticide, DDT. —Kim Bellware The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2025

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