deet

D2E1E1T1

proper noun

An insect repellent (chemical name N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) that can be applied to skin or clothing.

UncommonScrabble 5

Meanings

deet1

noundeet (plural deets)

plural deets

  1. abbreviationinformalplural normallyAbbreviation of detail.

DEET2

proper noun
  1. An insect repellent (chemical name N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) that can be applied to skin or clothing.

    According to my iPhone, there is 90 percent humidity during the outdoor dance. I presume 100 percent humidity involves drowning. Rivulets of sweat pour down my spine like caressing fingers. I spray DEET on myself so profusely I can taste the chemicals on my tongue through my nostrils.

    2022 November 26, Virginia Feito, “Sweating Through a Honeymoon in Paradise”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: diethyltoluamide

Deet3

proper noun

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounAn insect repellent (chemical name N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) that can be applied to skin or clothing.

Origin

deet · noun

Abbreviation.

Full word history & related roots →

DEET · proper noun

From d t, the initials of diethyl and toluamide in the name of the chemical.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 避蚊胺
  • 避蚊胺 (bìwén'àn)insect repellent
Hungarian DEET, N,N-dietil-meta-toluamid
  • DEETinsect repellent
  • N,N-dietil-meta-toluamidinsect repellent

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with deet

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Sounds the same

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

deet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deet

MLA

“deet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deet. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deet,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deet.

Source: deet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.