herbicide
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- herbicidal adjective
Etymology
Origin of herbicide
Explanation
A chemical that's used on lawns or gardens to kill weeds is an herbicide. When herbicides are used on food crops, they target unwanted plants but leave the crops unharmed. Some towns and cities have banned certain herbicides, fearing that they're not safe for humans, pets, and other animals. In many instances, herbicides are seen as a necessity for growing large crops or controlling invasive weeds that threaten structures as well as lawns and gardens. The word herbicide comes from the Latin roots herba, "grass, turf, or vegetation," and the suffix -cide, "killer."
Vocabulary lists containing herbicide
Biodiversity and Humans - Middle School and High School
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Biodiversity and Humans - Introductory
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Agriculture
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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.
While the new herbicide is primarily for soybeans, Syngenta officials said it could develop corn varieties genetically engineered to withstand it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Perhaps best known as the main ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide, glyphosate is one of the most commonly used methods of handling weeds on farms and elsewhere.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
Also included in the order was the same protection to producers of glyphosate, an herbicide used in agricultural production, which relies on phosphorus as a “crucial precursor element” in its manufacturing.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026
Foley said it was actually 34 pounds of herbicide “diluted with 8 tons of water,” and that officials are trying to use the “least amount” possible.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
Also, organic cows, like Rosie the organic chicken, are never fed corn that contains residues of atrazine, the herbicide commonly sprayed on American cornfields.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
