herbicide

[hur-buh-sahyd, ur-]

noun

1. a substance or preparation for killing plants, especially weeds.

herbicide

/ ˈhɜːbɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. a chemical that destroys plants, esp one used to control weeds

herbicide

1. A pesticide used to kill weeds. Paraquat is a herbicide.

2. Compare fungicide insecticide rodenticide

Other Word Forms

• herbicidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of herbicide¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; herb + -i- + -cide

Example Sentences

Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015, he suspects, because of his exposure to Agent Orange, a herbicide used by the U.S. military to reduce enemy cover in the Vietnamese jungle.

From Salon

Vigilance and quick action are especially important here because Bifano only uses organic control methods, so no chemical pesticides or herbicides.

From Los Angeles Times

American military leaders’ position was that herbicides did not constitute chemical weapons under the Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. had yet to ratify.

From Salon

Then, in the summer of 1991, a catastrophic train derailment just north of town spilled nearly 20,000 gallons of a highly toxic herbicide into the Sacramento River.

From Los Angeles Times

The mixture known as Agent Orange is a combination of two herbicides that the U.S. brought to Vietnam in huge volumes to kill off jungles and mangroves that hid opposition forces during the Vietnam war.

From Salon

Related Words

• defoliant 
• fungicide 
• insecticide 
• pesticide