fumigate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
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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.
"Some people fumigate every three to five years because it doesn't protect structures from future infestations."
From Science Daily • May 31, 2024
"Some of the lads fumigate their beds naturally, so there's no issue," said Fogarty, who said the squad are yet to come across any bedbugs in France.
From BBC • Oct. 6, 2023
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
Instead of trying to fumigate away the dangers lurking in the soil each year, growers can throw out last year’s substrate and put in a new batch.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2022
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.
