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spermicide

American  
[spur-muh-sahyd] / ˈspɜr məˌsaɪd /

noun

  1. a sperm-killing agent, especially a commercial birth-control preparation, usually a cream or jelly.

spermicide British  
/ ˈspɜːmɪˌsaɪd /

noun

  1. any drug or other agent that kills spermatozoa

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
spermicide Scientific  
/ spûr′mĭ-sīd′ /

  1. An agent that kills spermatozoa, especially one that is used as a contraceptive.

Other Word Forms

  • spermicidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of spermicide

First recorded in 1925–30; sperm 1 + -i- + -cide

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.

Neonicotinoids act as spermicide for drone bees, reducing sperm count by 40 percent, according to a recent study conducted Institute of Bee Health at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

From Washington Times • Aug. 28, 2016

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.