Phrase guide

polychlorinated biphenyl

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: /ˌpoʊliˌklɔrəˌneɪtəd ˈbaɪfənɪl/
  • UK: /ˌpɒlɪˌklɔːrɪneɪtɪd ˈbaɪfənɪl/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a class of aromatic organic compounds formed by the chlorination of the hydrocarbon biphenyl; they have many industrial applications but are now considered persistent organic pollutants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: PCB

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 多氯聯苯 /多氯联苯 (duōlǜliánběn) — PCB
  • Galician: bifenilo policlorado — PCB
  • Spanish: policlorobifenilo — PCB