fungicide

[fuhn-juh-sahyd, fuhng-guh-]

noun

1. a substance or preparation, as a spray or dust, used for destroying fungi.

fungicide

/ ˈfʌndʒɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. a substance or agent that destroys or is capable of destroying fungi

fungicide

1. A pesticide used to kill fungi, especially those that cause disease. Streptomycin is a fungicide.

2. Compare herbicide insecticide rodenticide

Other Word Forms

• fungicidal adjective
• fungicidally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fungicide¹

First recorded in 1885–90; fungi- + -cide

Example Sentences

These chemical products account for to a quarter of the world agricultural fungicide market, worth more than £3 billion per year.

From Science Daily

They hope that their work will shed light on how fungicides that are routinely used to protect the bee hives will affect these microbes.

From Science Daily

"If we find that these root acylsugars are effective at repelling harmful organisms, could they be bred into other nightshades, thereby helping plants grow without the need for harmful synthetic fungicides and pesticides?"

From Science Daily

High concentrations of fungicides, however, may be harmful to the endocrine system, although more studies are necessary to understand just how dangerous they are to human health.

From Salon

The four fungicides were found on the fruits and vegetables for which new data was available this year—blueberries, green beans, peaches, and pears—for some of them at high levels.

From Salon

Related Words

• defoliant 
• insecticide 
• pesticide