herbicide
Americannoun
-
herbicides
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of herbicide
Explanation
A chemical that's used on lawns or gardens to kill weeds is an herbicide. When herbicides are used on food crops, they target unwanted plants but leave the crops unharmed. Some towns and cities have banned certain herbicides, fearing that they're not safe for humans, pets, and other animals. In many instances, herbicides are seen as a necessity for growing large crops or controlling invasive weeds that threaten structures as well as lawns and gardens. The word herbicide comes from the Latin roots herba, "grass, turf, or vegetation," and the suffix -cide, "killer."
Vocabulary lists containing herbicide
Biodiversity and Humans - Middle School and High School
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Biodiversity and Humans - Introductory
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Agriculture
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The residents soon suspected the funnels contained some kind of herbicide that was slowly killing the tree - a suspicion also shared by arborists who came to examine it.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
In its most recent quarter, the company exceeded profit expectations after its dicamba herbicide was reapproved for use in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
An additional 15 strains came from feedlots and agricultural soils affected by herbicide use.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
After residents launched a social media campaign demanding Orange County stop spraying herbicide in creeks, officials said they will halt the practice in two waterways.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
“Creating an airborne herbicide isn’t a problem,” I say, telling her the truth.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Human development has replaced previously undisturbed habitat, while widespread agricultural use of pesticides and herbicides has contributed to major declines in pollinator populations.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
In March, county Supervisor Katrina Foley told residents the county would halt spraying of herbicides in two creeks near Doheny State Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Farmer Dave Bell, chair of the Voluntary Initiative for the use of Plant Protection, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he relies on herbicides like glyphosate.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
Chief Justice John Roberts expressed openness to Bayer’s argument that federal law is designed to create uniformity in the labeling of herbicides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
The desire for a quick and easy method of killing unwanted plants has given rise to a large and growing array of chemicals that are known as herbicides, or, less formally, as weed killers.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
