chlorpyrifos

[klawr-pir-uh-fos, klohr-]

noun

1. a broad-spectrum insecticide, C 9 H 11 Cl 3 NO 3 PS, used on lawns and ornamental plants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlorpyrifos¹

chlor- ² + pyri(dine) + -fos, for phosphorus

Example Sentences

Environmental Protection Agency banned chlorpyrifos for household use in 2001, it remains in use in agriculture for non-organic produce and grains.

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Golf courses use high amounts of pesticides, like chlorpyrifos, which have been linked to Parkinson’s.

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Children who live and go to school near farm fields where pesticides like chlorpyrifos are used show blood levels well above normal, and have higher rates of neurological problems as a result.

Read more on Salon

The saga of this pesticide, which has the unwieldy name chlorpyrifos, is a stark reminder of why so many Americans are alarmed about industrial farming and the food supply.

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Bennett said she was surprised to find detectable amounts of chlorpyrifos because farmers were supposed to have stopped applying the pesticide.

Read more on Los Angeles Times