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View synonyms for paraquat
paraquat
[ par-uh-kwaht ]
noun
, Chemistry.
- 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
/ ˈpærəˌkwɒt /
noun
- a yellow extremely poisonous soluble solid used in solution as a weedkiller
paraquat
/ păr′ə-kwŏt′ /
- 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.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of paraquat1
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
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Example Sentences
Decades ago, Ronald Reagan’s drug czar supported spraying illicit marijuana farms with the toxic herbicide paraquat, leading to terror among the High Times set.
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