Carson, Ra ‧ chel /ˈreɪtʃ ə l/ BrE AmE
(1907–64) a US scientist who worked in the area of MARINE BIOLOGY (=the study of the creatures and plants that live in the sea) . She wrote several books, including Silent Spring , and she was one of the first people to realize that ↑ pesticide s (=chemicals for protecting crops from insects) were damaging the environment.