metaldehyde

noun

met·​al·​de·​hyde ˌmet-ˈal-də-ˌhīd 

: a crystalline compound (CH₃CHO)₄ that is a polymer of acetaldehyde and is used as a lure and poison for snails and slugs

Examples of metaldehyde in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Snails and slugs that have eaten metaldehyde often seek hiding places, become inactive and begin to die within days. —Teddy Grant, ABC News, 20 June 2023

The properties where the snails were found will be treated with the slug and snail killer metaldehyde over the next 18 months and the area will be monitored for two years after the last snail is found, per Field and Stream’s Ashley Stimpson. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2022

According to Chitty, FDACS plans to spend three years eradicating the population in Pasco County, using the pesticide metaldehyde to treat the soil. —Zoe Sottile, CNN, 3 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

probably from meta- + aldehyde

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

metaldehyde

noun

met·​al·​de·​hyde ˌmet-ˈal-də-ˌhīd 

: a crystalline compound (C₂H₄O)_n that is a cyclic oligomer of acetaldehyde used as a solid fuel for portable stoves and as a lure and poison for snails