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

Hunt and Warner’s work was also a key environmental discovery in understanding how the once ubiquitous pesticide DDT impacted the male seagull population. —Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

But legal protections and the banning of DDT allowed for a comeback. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Because of the use of DDT, peregrine falcons were no longer nesting in the state of Pennsylvania by the early 1960s, the aviary said. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026

In the 1960s, widespread concerns about the environmental effects of pesticides like DDT boosted interest in organic farming. —Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 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