Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

polychlorinated biphenyl

/ˌpoʊliˌklɔrəˌneɪtəd ˈbaɪfənɪl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.47 in modern English

Syllables: poly-chlo-ri-nat-ed biphenyl
IPA: /ˌpoʊliˌklɔrəˌneɪtəd ˈbaɪfənɪl/

44

Scrabble Score

23

Letters

5

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

Example Sentences

"Another environmental factor thought to be affecting some coastal birds, although comparatively little is yet known about its extent or origin, is the presence of marine pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and toxic heavy metals."
"The microbes devoured the chlorides in the earth; as metabolic byproducts, they produced toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). By the time the infestation was contained an area of nearly 30 square kilometers had been effectively turned into a toxic waste dump."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpoʊliˌklɔrəˌneɪtəd ˈbaɪfənɪl/
British English: /ˌpɒlɪˌklɔːrɪneɪtɪd ˈbaɪfənɪl/

Inflected Forms

polychlorinated biphenyls (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

decachlorobiphenyl dichlorobiphenyl heptachlorobiphenyl hexachlorobiphenyl monochlorobiphenyl nonachlorobiphenyl octachlorobiphenyl pentachlorobiphenyl

Synonyms

PCB

Questions

How do you pronounce polychlorinated biphenyl?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpoʊliˌklɔrəˌneɪtəd ˈbaɪfənɪl/.
What does polychlorinated biphenyl mean?: 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.

How to pronounce polychlorinated biphenyl

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