chlordecone

[ klawr-di-kohn, klohr- ]

noun

1. a highly toxic pesticide, C 10 H 10 O, causing nerve damage in humans, that is believed to contaminate waterways: no longer widely used.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlordecone¹

First recorded in 1970–75; chlor- ² + dec- + (ket)one