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Synonyms

paraquat

American  
[par-uh-kwaht] / ˈpær əˌkwɑt /

noun

Chemistry.

  1. 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 British  
/ ˈpærəˌkwɒt /

noun

  1. a yellow extremely poisonous soluble solid used in solution as a weedkiller

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
paraquat Scientific  
/ păr′ə-kwŏt′ /

  1. A toxic compound used as a herbicide, especially in its colorless, dichloride form (C 12 H 14 Cl 2 N 2) or in its yellow, bismethyl sulfate form (C 14 H 20 N 2 O 8 S 2). Paraquat is used primarily to control grass and weeds. Its use in the United States is restricted because of its high level of toxicity.

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.

“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

Environmental Protection Agency describes paraquat as highly toxic — noting that “one sip can kill” — yet California remains one of the nation’s top users of the chemical.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2024

Assembly Bill 1963 — a bill seeking to ban the use of paraquat in California — is working its way through the state Legislature and will be heard by the Senate Appropriations committee in August.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024

Weller noted that there are more than 130 pesticides used in California that are not approved in the European Union, including paraquat, which is banned in about 60 countries.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024

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.