-cidal

American  

1. a combination of -cide and -al found on adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -cide:

   homicidal.

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Usage

What does -cidal mean? The combining form -cidal is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to killers or the act of killing." It is often used in a variety of scientific and technical terms.The form -cidal is a combination of two combining forms. The first form is -cide, ultimately from Latin caedere, meaning “to kill, to strike down.” The second is -al, from Latin -ālis, which is a suffix used to mean "of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of.”What are variants of -cidal?While -cidal does not have any variants, it is related to the combining form -cide, as in patricide. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on -cide.

Etymology

Origin of -cidal

-cide + -al ¹