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.
Foley said she always has preferred using less herbicide in waterways and made a complaint about the use of Roundup in the San Juan Creek flood channel about a year ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 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
The German pharmaceutical and agriculture conglomerate on Tuesday said it proposed to settle a nationwide class-action lawsuit to resolve claims that its flagship herbicide causes cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
But Americans pronounce the h in herbaceous, herbicide, and herbivore.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
