dioxin

[ dahy-ok-sin ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a general name for a family of chlorinated hydrocarbons, C 12 H 4 Cl 4 O 2 , typically used to refer to one isomer, TCDD, a by-product of pesticide manufacture: a toxic compound that is carcinogenic and teratogenic in certain animals.

dioxin

/ daɪˈɒksɪn /

noun

1. any of a number of mostly poisonous chemical by-products of the manufacture of certain herbicides and bactericides, esp the extremely toxic 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin

dioxin

/ dī-ŏk′sĭn /

1. Any of several toxic hydrocarbons that occur as impurities in petroleum-derived herbicides, disinfectants, and other products. Dioxins are composed of two benzene rings connected by two oxygen atoms, and the most familiar kind, called TCDD, has two chlorine atoms attached to each benzene ring. TCDD was once thought to cause cancer and birth defects, but subsequent research showed it to have only mild toxic effects except at very high exposure levels.

dioxin

1. A group of pollutants created as by-products in many industrial processes. Dioxins accumulate in human tissue and affect human metabolism . They are carcinogens. Eliminating dioxins is an important goal of environmental policy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dioxin¹

First recorded in 1965–70; di- ¹ + ox- + -in ²

Example Sentences

One early study, published in 2002, calculated the concentration of dioxins in four brands of tampons.

From Popular-Science

Even small amounts of dioxin, one of the most poisonous chemicals released by facilities, can cause developmental problems, damage the immune system and lead to cancer.

From ProPublica

A 2007 report found that the types of dioxin compounds in the blood of Mossville residents matched those emitted by local industrial facilities.

From ProPublica

Her father had diabetes, which may have been triggered by dioxin, a chemical that attacks the pancreas.

From ProPublica

“Dioxin” is the dirtiest of dirty words and this designation, like the chemical itself, does not degrade.

From The Daily Beast

Unfortunately, the waste oil had a dioxin concentration 2,000 times higher than that in Agent Orange.

From The Daily Beast

It is the connection of triclosan to dioxin that has appropriately raised the hackles of so many.

From The Daily Beast

Yushchenko had been poisoned with dioxin during the campaign, most likely by allies of Moscow.

From The Daily Beast