paraquat
noun
a toxic herbicide, C 1 2 H 1 4 N 2 ⋅2CH 3 SO 4 , applied to food and flower crops and to highway borders as a defoliant and weed-killer.
paraquat
American
[par-uh-kwaht]
/ ˈpær əˌkwɑt /
noun
Chemistry.
Paraquat
British
/ ˈpærəˌkwɒt /
noun
paraquat
Scientific
/ păr′ə-kwŏt′ /
Etymology
Origin of paraquat
1960–65; para- 1 + quat(ernary), in reference to the bond between the two pyridyl groups, which is in the para position with respect to their quaternary nitrogen atoms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Under state law, dealers in California may continue to use up supplies of paraquat for up to two years following the effective date of their cancellation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
That reevaluation identified a potential association between paraquat exposure and thyroid impacts and birth defects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“We paid thousands of dollars to have it analyzed. … I mean, the paraquat thing was totally scientifically wrong.”
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2025
The federal government banned the use of the weedkiller paraquat on golf courses in 2021.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
California lawmakers have approved a bill that could help strengthen regulations around the use of paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with Parkinson’s disease and other serious health issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024
Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries due to its toxicity but is still allowed in the U.S., and no state uses more of it than California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Paraquat is a herbicide commonly used on farms and in yards for weed control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
That was a call backed by Julie Plumley, who runs a care farm in Dorset and whose late father was a farmer who used Paraquat and later had Parkinson's Disease.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024
They added that "it is important to note that Paraquat is safe when used as directed."
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024
Paraquat is manufactured by Syngenta, a Swiss-based company owned by the Chinese government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
