polychlorinated biphenyl

American  

[pol-ee-klawr-uh-ney-tid bahy-fen-l, ‐-feen-l] / ˌpɒl iˈklɔr əˌneɪ tɪd baɪˈfɛn l, ‐ˈfin l /

noun

Chemistry.

1. PCB.

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polychlorinated biphenyl British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈklɔːrɪˌneɪtɪd /

noun

1.  PCB.  any of a group of compounds in which chlorine atoms replace the hydrogen atoms in biphenyl: used in industry in electrical insulators and in the manufacture of plastics; a toxic pollutant that can become concentrated in animal tissue

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polychlorinated biphenyl Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-klôr′ə-nā′tĭd /

1. See PCB

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Etymology

Origin of polychlorinated biphenyl

First recorded in 1960–65; poly- + chlorinated ( def. )

Example Sentences

The environmental authority for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Leverkusen is located, said Wednesday that the smoke contained dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl and furan compounds.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2021

In 2009, the EPA found a host of toxins in fish on the Columbia River, including polychlorinated biphenyl, a potentially carcinogenic synthetic that was banned for production in the U.S. in 1979.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2014

Rollins Environmental Services, a Wilmington, Del., firm that handles industrial waste, benefited from stricter federal rules involving the disposal of such hazardous chemicals as polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB.

From Time Magazine Archive

A general-knowledge section contained questions on such varied subjects as the Japanese constitution, dollar convertibility, ancient Japanese literature, West Germany's Ostpolitik and the chemical formula for polychlorinated biphenyl.

From Time Magazine Archive