fumigate

verb

fu·​mi·​gate ˈfyü-mə-ˌgāt How to pronounce fumigate (audio)
fumigated; fumigating

transitive verb

: to apply smoke, vapor, or gas to especially for the purpose of disinfecting or of destroying pests
fumigation noun
fumigator noun

Examples of fumigate in a Sentence

All the hospital rooms had to be fumigated. We had to fumigate our apartment to get rid of the ants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The chefs worked together for several hours, first to sterilize the onggi over heated charcoal topped with a small amount of honey, which fumigate and purify the vessels. Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026 The actress referenced the parent series’ Season 1 episode ‘Malcolm Babysits’, in which their house is fumigated and the family is forced to live in a tent outside. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026 Later, grandmother and granddaughter drive down a road of African palm trees, passing a lorry load of immigrants, monotonous electricity grid lines crossing the sky and workers fumigating trees, Villalobos accumulating details of a harsh contemporary world. John Hopewell, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026 In the latter province, officials were planning to start fumigating this week, a delay criticized by Granma readers. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fumigate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin fūmigātus, past participle of fūmigāre "to subject to smoke, get rid of with smoke," from fūmus "smoke" + -igāre, causative suffix, probably generalized from rēmigāre "to use oars, row," verbal derivative of rēmig-, rēmex "oarsman, rower," from rēmus "oar" + -ig-, -ex, agent noun derivative from the base of agere "to be in motion, do, perform" — more at fume entry 1, agent

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fumigate was in 1746

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fumigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fumigate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

fumigate

verb
fu·​mi·​gate ˈfyü-mə-ˌgāt How to pronounce fumigate (audio)
fumigated; fumigating
: to apply smoke, vapor, or gas to especially for the purpose of disinfecting or of destroying pests
fumigation noun
fumigator noun

Medical Definition

fumigate

transitive verb
fu·​mi·​gate ˈfyü-mə-ˌgāt How to pronounce fumigate (audio)
fumigated; fumigating
: to apply smoke, vapor, or gas to especially for the purpose of disinfecting or of destroying pests
fumigation noun
fumigator noun

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