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
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
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
“In California, paraquat helps farmers control weeds in important crops, removing hazards for field work and preventing weeds from taking water and nutrients from crops.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
Kern County is a “hot spot” for paraquat application in the state; more than 5.3 million pounds were sprayed there between 2017 and 2021, according to a March report from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
Paraquat is a herbicide commonly used on farms and in yards for weed control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Paraquat is manufactured by Syngenta, a Switzerland-based company that is owned by the Chinese government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
They added that "it is important to note that Paraquat is safe when used as directed."
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024
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
Paraquat is 28 times more toxic than another controversial herbicide, Roundup, according to a report from the Pesticide Action Network.
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.
