Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chemical substance used to kill pests: A "pesticide" is a chemical agent specifically formulated to eliminate, repel, or control organisms considered to be pests, such as insects, rodents, fungi, or weeds, that are harmful to cultivated plants, animals, or human environments.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Farmers often use pesticide to protect their crops from insects.
  • The overuse of pesticide can harm beneficial insects like bees.
  • This pesticide is designed to control rodent populations in urban areas.

Advanced Usage

• "Broad-spectrum pesticide": A pesticide effective against a wide range of different pest species.

  • Broad-spectrum pesticides are convenient but can damage the local ecosystem.

• "Pesticide residue": Traces of pesticide that remain on or in food, water, or soil after application.

  • Consumers are concerned about pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables.

Variants and Related Words

• Insecticide (n): A specific type of pesticide used to kill insects.

  • An insecticide was sprayed to combat the mosquito infestation.

• Herbicide (n): A specific type of pesticide used to kill unwanted plants (weeds).

  • The herbicide effectively cleared the weeds from the driveway.

• Fungicide (n): A specific type of pesticide used to kill fungal pests.

  • A fungicide is necessary to treat this plant disease.

Synonyms

• Biocide: A general term for a substance that destroys living organisms.
• Vermicide: A substance used to kill worms (a more specific term).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Pesticide" is primarily a noun and does not commonly form phrasal verbs. Related actions are expressed with verbs like "apply," "spray," or "use.")

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms directly centered on the word "pesticide.")

Noun

1. a chemical used to kill pests (as rodents or insects)