methoxychlor

American  

[muh-thok-si-klawr, -klohr] / məˈθɒk sɪˌklɔr, -ˌkloʊr /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C 1 6 H 1 5 Cl 3 O 2 , used as an insecticide.

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Etymology

Origin of methoxychlor

First recorded in 1945–50; methoxy- + chlor- ¹

Example Sentences

The “harmless” insecticides malathion and methoxychlor are less poisonous than their relatives only because a liver enzyme deals with them, altering their molecules in such a way that their capacity for harm is lessened.

From Literature

Young rats exposed to methoxychlor had extraordinarily small testes.

From Literature

The effect of a chemical of supposedly innocuous nature can be drastically changed by the action of another; one of the best examples is a close relative of DDT called methoxychlor.

From Literature

By the end of 1951, DDT, methoxychlor, chlordane, heptachlor, and benzene hexachloride had joined the list of cbemicals no longer effective.

From Literature

If the liver has been damaged by another agent, methoxychlor is stored in the body at 100 times its normal rate, and will then imitate the effects of DDT with long-lasting effects on the nervous system.

From Literature