pesticide

noun

pes·​ti·​cide ˈpe-stə-ˌsīd 

: an agent used to destroy pests

pesticidal

ˌpe-stə-ˈsī-dᵊl 

adjective

Examples of pesticide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The regional initiative brings awareness to pollinators and gets people involved by planting native flowers, reducing pesticide use and creating year-round habitats, according to the UF/IFAS. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Many native bees are threatened by pesticide use, habitat loss, climate change, and displacement by European honeybees. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026

After the Morton incident, VandenBerg stepped into another role — helping parents understand how to respond to pesticide misuse. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026

The agency said that prior owners of the property conducted pesticide research and, according to the state and county’s own filing, mismanaged hazardous materials at the property for decades. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pesticide

• anti-pesticide

Rhymes for pesticide

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

Kids Definition

pesticide

noun

pes·​ti·​cide ˈpes-tə-ˌsīd 

: a substance used to destroy pests

pesticidal

ˌpes-tə-ˈsīd-ᵊl

adjective

Medical Definition

pesticide

noun

pes·​ti·​cide ˈpes-tə-ˌsīd 

: an agent used to destroy pests