rotenone

noun

ro·te·none | \ ˈrō-tə-ˌnōn

Definition of rotenone

: a crystalline insecticide C₂₃H₂₂O₆ obtained from the roots of several tropical plants (such as a derris) that is highly toxic to fish but is of low toxicity to warm-blooded animals and is used especially in home gardens

Examples of rotenone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fisheries biologists regularly apply liquid rotenone in Western streams to rid them of rainbow and other nonnative trout with the goal of restoring native cutthroat trout populations. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Aug. 2021 Applying rotenone in lakes is a much different operation, deploying a powdered form of the chemical with the consistency of flour. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Aug. 2021 From 2013 to 2015, 11 miles (18 kilometers) of Silver King Creek and three tributaries were treated with a fish toxicant, rotenone, to remove all non-native species. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2019 The rotenone naturally breaks down from exposure to sunlight and is expected to fully degrade in about 10 days. — Bill Roth, Anchorage Daily News, 24 July 2019 Sikorsky harvested 12 fish, flew them to a private hatchery, and arranged to have the pond sterilized with rotenone, a pesticide dropped from, ironically, two Sikorsky Blackhawks contracted from the National Guard. — Brian Irwin, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2018 Nymphs can be controlled with insecticidal soap, pyrethrum, rotenone or neem. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 11 July 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rotenone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.