DDT

American  

abbreviation

Chemistry.

1. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane: a potent synthetic insecticide, C 14 H 9 Cl 5 , initially developed in the 1940s to combat insect-borne human diseases and later found to be highly and adversely persistent in the environment: agricultural use now prohibited in many countries, including, since 1972, the United States.

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DDT British  

noun

1. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; a colourless odourless substance used as an insecticide. It is toxic to animals and is known to accumulate in the tissues. It is now banned in the UK

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DDT Scientific  

/ dē′dē-tē′ /

1. Short for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. A powerful insecticide that is also poisonous to humans and animals. It remains active in the environment for many years and has been banned in the United States for most uses since 1972 but is still in use in some countries in which malaria is endemic. Chemical formula: C ₁₄ H ₉ Cl ₅ .

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DDT Cultural  

1. A colorless insecticide that kills on contact. It is poisonous to humans and animals when swallowed or absorbed through the skin. DDT is an abbreviation for d ichloro d iphenyl t richloroethane.

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Discover More

Although DDT, when it was first invented, was considered a great advance in protecting crops from insect damage and in combating diseases spread by insects (such as malaria), discoveries led to its ban in many countries. Residue from DDT has been shown to remain in the ecosystem and the food chain long after its original use, causing harm and even death to animals considered harmless or useful to man.

Etymology

Origin of DDT

d(ichloro)d(iphenyl)t(richloroethane)

Example Sentences

But legal protections and the banning of DDT allowed for a comeback.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

“There are pictures and videos of kids playing in plumes of DDT that the trucks would be releasing as they drove down the neighborhood roads,” says Ng.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

Peregrine falcons, which were once nearly wiped out in Australia due to the use of pesticides in agriculture, have staged a recovery since the 1980s when DDT and other chemicals were banned.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2024

In a separate Public Health Service study, analysis of prison meals disclosed such items as stewed dried fruit containing 69.6 parts per million and bread containing 100.9 parts per million of DDT!

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• defoliant
• fungicide
• insecticide
• pesticide