Word
insecticide
Phoneticsin·sec·ti·cide
US/ˌɪnˈsɛktəˌsaɪd/
UK/ˌɪnsˈɛktɪsˌaɪd/
Definition
n. a chemical substance used to kill insects. You usually find it in sprays or powders to protect crops or homes from bugs.
n. a substance used to kill insects, especially one used in agriculture or pest control.
Examples
“The farmer uses a strong insecticide to protect his crops.”
“The gardener applied an organic insecticide to the roses to prevent aphids from damaging the leaves.”
“While synthetic insecticides are highly effective at eliminating pests, their widespread use has led to significant environmental concerns regarding the long-term health of local bee populations.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer uses a strong insecticide to protect his crops.”
contextual
“The gardener applied an organic insecticide to the roses to prevent aphids from damaging the leaves.”
complex
“While synthetic insecticides are highly effective at eliminating pests, their widespread use has led to significant environmental concerns regarding the long-term health of local bee populations.”
Real-World Examples
“Workers share food throughout a colony, which can dilute the amount of insecticide individual ants receive.” “Insecticides such as organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids and phenylpyrazoles cause paralysis and death of these insects, as well as disrupting the bees ability to navigate .” Etymology
From French insecticide, as insect + -icide.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/insecticide