repellent

Everyday

1. A repellent is a spray, cream or other thing that keeps animals or insects away, such as insect repellent against mosquitoes. tree →
2. A water-repellent material makes water roll off it instead of soaking in. tree →
3. As an adjective, repellent means very unpleasant or disgusting. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday life and safety: insect repellent is put on skin before walks, camping and summer evenings to stop bites from mosquitoes and ticks; adults should help with it, keep it away from eyes and mouth, and wash hands after. In science, water-repellent fabrics and feathers (ducks) are studied in lessons on materials; magnets repel (push away). Phrases: insect repellent, mosquito repellent, water-repellent jacket.

Examples

• Put on insect repellent before we go into the woods. tree →
• The mosquito repellent smells of lemons. tree →
• My raincoat is water-repellent, so the drops roll off. tree →
• Ducks' feathers are water-repellent because of a special oil. tree →
• Do not spray repellent near your eyes or on cuts. tree →
• The rotten fish had a repellent smell. tree →
• Some gardeners use a repellent to keep slugs off the lettuce. tree →

Note

Noun or adjective. Comes from the verb «repel» (to push away). Spelling: repellent (also «repellant» in some US use), double l. Repellent does not kill insects, it only keeps them away; ask an adult which kind is safe for children.