'aphicide' originates from modern formation combining 'aphid' (from Greek 'aphis', meaning 'plant louse') and the suffix '-cide' (from Latin 'caedere', meaning 'to kill').

'aphid' comes from Greek 'aphis' → Neo-Latin/English 'aphid' (referring to the small sap-sucking insect); the combining form with Latin-derived '-cide' produced terms like 'aphidicide' or the shorter 'aphicide' in modern English.

Initially, the formation meant 'a substance that kills aphids,' and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.