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

He could have been a better player but he played with "fear", a herbicide that stops athletes growing.

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Paraquat is a herbicide commonly used on farms and in yards for weed control.

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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.

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

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

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Related Words

• defoliant 
• fungicide 
• insecticide 
• pesticide