fumigate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- fumigation noun
- fumigator noun
- fumigatory adjective
- unfumigated adjective
Etymology
Origin of fumigate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin fūmigātus, past participle of fūmigāre “to smoke, fumigate,” equivalent to fūm(us) “smoke” + -igāre, combining form of agere “to drive, do”
Explanation
To fumigate is to spray something with fumes, usually to eliminate pests of some kind. A fume is a type of smoke or other gaseous substance, and fumigation is when fumes are used to treat something. Most of the time, a house is fumigated because it has pests in it. If you have cockroaches or bedbugs, you might need to fumigate. Fumigating is a gaseous chemical attack that kills pests and is also dangerous to people and pets, so people clear out before fumigating takes places. The person who fumigates is usually an exterminator.
Vocabulary lists containing fumigate
Tangerine
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The Odyssey
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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.
In response the Salvation Army told BBC News NI: "As soon as bed bugs were reported at Centenary House, we took immediate action to fumigate".
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025
"Some people fumigate every three to five years because it doesn't protect structures from future infestations."
From Science Daily • May 31, 2024
Six farms, each of which obtained permits to fumigate, also are named in the lawsuit.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2024
In 2004, chemical manufacturers began to phase out methyl bromide, another chemical widely used to fumigate soils, because it harms Earth’s ozone layer.
From Science Magazine • May 25, 2023
He hired a chemical company to fumigate the fields.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions 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.
