dioxin: Meaning and Definition of

di•ox•in

Pronunciation: (dī-ok'sin), [key]
— n. Chem.
  1. a general name for a family of chlorinated hydrocarbons, CHClO, typically used to refer to one isomer, TCDD, a by-product of pesticide manufacture: a toxic compound that is carcinogenic and teratogenic in certain animals. Also called&hasp; Cf. Agent Orange.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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