fumigate

[ fyoo-mi-geyt ]

See synonyms for: fumigate fumigation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),fu·mi·gat·ed, fu·mi·gat·ing.

to expose to smoke or fumes, as in disinfecting or exterminating roaches, ants, etc.

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”

Other words from fumigate

fu·mi·ga·tion [fyoo-mi-gey-shuhn], /ˌfyu mɪˈgeɪ ʃən/, noun
fu·mi·ga·to·ry [fyoo-mi-guh-tawr-ee, -gey-tuh-ree], /ˈfyu mɪ gəˌtɔr i, -ˌgeɪ tə ri/, adjective
un·fu·mi·gat·ed, adjective

Words Nearby fumigate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fumigate in a sentence

The facilities use a toxic gas called ethylene oxide to sanitize medical and dental equipment and fumigate certain food products.
The EPA Has Identified 23 U.S. Facilities Whose Toxic Air Pollution Puts People at Risk | by Kiah Collier and Maya Miller | August 4, 2022 | ProPublica
Homes were ransacked, belongings were burned in an effort to fumigate the area, and the city’s anti-infection posse looted shops and took sledgehammers to windows.
San Francisco's Response to Bubonic Plague in 1900 Shows the Dark Roots of Anti-Asian Hate | Olivia B. Waxman | May 24, 2022 | Time
To stop the spread of fungal diseases, farmers fumigate the soil with toxic chemicals that lay waste to the land, sparing not even the beneficial microbes teeming in the earth.
Nanoscale nutrients can protect plants from fungal diseases | Shi En Kim | May 3, 2021 | Science News
When the returning B-29s touched down, teams fumigated them to dissipate the smell of burning flesh.
Wrestling with the strategy — and morality — of the firebombing of Japan | Diana Preston | April 23, 2021 | Washington Post
The English were furious, threatening terrible things if any one attempted to fumigate them.
The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 29, May 27, 1897 | Various

I had to burn my blankets and fumigate my tent before I could sleep in it again, but I guess I had better shut up.
The Boy Chums in the Florida Jungle | Wilmer M. Ely
A tar-pot having been found, Mr Collinson then sent the men below, to fumigate the cabin and the forepeak.
Sunshine Bill | W H G Kingston
After eating heartily, more especially after supper, they burn certain gums and herbs and fumigate themselves to produce sleep.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1 | Hubert Howe Bancroft
If green fly makes its appearance, fumigate the house; but if only a few shoots are infested, dip them in tobacco water.
In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year | William Keane

British Dictionary definitions for fumigate

fumigate

/ (ˈfjuːmɪˌɡeɪt) /

verb

to treat (something contaminated or infected) with fumes or smoke

Origin of fumigate

C16: from Latin fūmigāre to smoke, steam, from fūmus smoke + agere to drive, produce

Derived forms of fumigate

fumigation, noun
fumigator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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