disinfest

American  

[dis-in-fest] / ˌdɪs ɪnˈfɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. to rid of insects, rodents, etc.

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disinfest British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈfɛst /

verb

1. (tr) to rid of vermin

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Other Word Forms

• disinfestation noun

Etymology

Origin of disinfest

First recorded in 1915–20; dis- ¹ + infest

Example Sentences

Then in wrath I too arose from that lowly but lively couch between the oats and the bar and sullenly went out under the starlit sky to find Mr. Gilman energetically whipping his shirt over a wagon wheel to disinfest it from fleas.

From Project Gutenberg

When Berlioz heard Soprano Adelina Patti sing the air, he remarked wryly that "its fragrance alone was sufficient to disinfest the rest of the work."

From Time Magazine Archive