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

Uso got the hot tag to Reigns after a massive DDT on Reed. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025

The next year, the committee largely confirmed her reporting, and more rigorous federal regulation of DDT followed. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 27 July 2025

While the fire ant posed only a slight public health risk (mainly involving discomfort), a giant DDT spraying program was undertaken that killed other wildlife in the area and posed a threat to human health. —Lida Maxwell july 18, Literary Hub, 18 July 2025

The observations reflect peak DDT preservation more than dust devil formation, the researchers cautioned, but the culmination coincides with the peak observed by NASA's Spirit rover at Gusev crater, along with global observations of the sand spouts. —Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 16 July 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