toxic waste

American  

[tok-sik weyst] / ˈtɒk sɪk ˈweɪst /

noun

1. any hazardous waste that, when consumed or otherwise absorbed into the body, is harmful or fatal to people or other living organisms.

   Toxic waste containing lead and mercury had leached into their drinking water, and the number of poisoned residents was staggering.

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toxic waste Cultural  

1. A general term used to refer to chemical compounds produced by industry which, if they are ingested or breathed in by humans, can cause physiological damage. The disposal of toxic wastes is a major environmental problem in the United States.

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Etymology

Origin of toxic waste

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toxic waste

During the 1950s and 1960s, workers would regularly burn toxic waste in open pits and cleaned engines with solvents that later contaminated the groundwater.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

How will the factories store and dispose of toxic waste?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Because the approach avoids heavy metals, harsh reaction conditions and lengthy synthesis pathways, it could also reduce toxic waste and energy consumption in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

But his history of public controversy stretches back to at least 1991, when a memo he wrote while serving as the World Bank’s chief economist appeared to justify sending toxic waste to poorer countries.

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026

Like I’d spent her recovery wallowing in a toxic waste dump.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• poison
• pollution