spermicide

American

[spur-muh-sahyd] / ˈspɜr məˌsaɪd /

noun

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

spermicide British

/ ˈspɜːmɪˌsaɪd /

noun

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′ /

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.

See Examples For:

spermicide

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023