herbicide

noun

her·​bi·​cide ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌsīd 

: an agent used to destroy or inhibit plant growth

herbicidal

ˌ(h)ər-bə-ˈsī-dᵊl 

adjective

herbicidally

ˌ(h)ər-bə-ˈsī-dᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of herbicide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Applying a systemic herbicide now will be more successful in killing the entire plant, above- and below-ground. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026

See & Spray uses computer vision to distinguish weeds from crops and only sprays the weeds, cutting herbicide costs in half. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

These plants were grown without herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

But as post-WWII agriculture shifted toward chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and heavy machinery, the need for kudzu decreased rapidly, and the federal government retracted its support for the crop. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin herba + International Scientific Vocabulary -cide

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for herbicide

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• bisulphide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide

Kids Definition

herbicide

noun

her·​bi·​cide ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌsīd 

: a chemical substance used to destroy or stop plant growth

herbicidal

ˌ(h)ər-bə-ˈsīd-ᵊl 

adjective

Medical Definition

herbicide

noun

her·​bi·​cide ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌsīd 

: an agent used to destroy or inhibit plant growth

herbicidal

ˌ(h)ər-bə-ˈsīd-ᵊl 

adjective

herbicidally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb