paraquat
noun
para·quat
ˈper-ə-ˌkwät 
ˈpa-rə-
: a highly toxic contact herbicide containing a salt of a cation [C12H14N2]2+
Examples of paraquat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The company uses enough water for its California crops annually to rival the usage of the city of San Francisco over a decade, and is reportedly a major user of the toxic herbicide paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson's disease and cancer.
—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Everybody was smoking; there was even a paraquat-testing booth.
—Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Wei claims she was exposed to herbicides that included paraquat dichloride, glyphosate and oxyfluorfen, which have been linked to cancer.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2025
Previous studies have already linked chemicals found in pesticides including paraquat and rotenone to neurodegeneration, according to the study.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
The Washington Post reports that 70 countries have banned paraquat, an herbicide that has drawn scrutiny for its possible links to Parkinson’s disease.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Paraquat, another type of pesticide, is also widely used in the U.S. Syngenta produces many of these paraquat products and is owned by the Sinochem Corp., which the Defense Department previously classified as a Chinese military company.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2024
When paraquat, a toxic pesticide, was introduced in Samoa, the suicide rate shot up.
—Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
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Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Everybody was smoking; there was even a paraquat-testing booth.
—Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Wei claims she was exposed to herbicides that included paraquat dichloride, glyphosate and oxyfluorfen, which have been linked to cancer.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2025
Previous studies have already linked chemicals found in pesticides including paraquat and rotenone to neurodegeneration, according to the study.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
The Washington Post reports that 70 countries have banned paraquat, an herbicide that has drawn scrutiny for its possible links to Parkinson’s disease.
—David Gelles, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Paraquat, another type of pesticide, is also widely used in the U.S. Syngenta produces many of these paraquat products and is owned by the Sinochem Corp., which the Defense Department previously classified as a Chinese military company.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2024
When paraquat, a toxic pesticide, was introduced in Samoa, the suicide rate shot up.
—Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Paraquat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paraquat. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
paraquat
noun
para·quat
ˈpar-ə-ˌkwät
: an herbicide containing a salt of a cation [C12H14N2]2+ that is used especially as a weed killer and that is extremely toxic to the liver, kidneys, and lungs if ingested
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