parasiticide
|pa-ra-si-ti-cide|
🇺🇸
/ˌpæɹəˈsɪtɪsaɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌpærəˈsɪtɪsaɪd/
kill parasites
Etymology
'parasiticide' is a modern English formation combining 'parasite' + the suffix '-cide' (from Latin 'caedere' meaning 'to kill').
'parasite' comes from Greek 'parasitos' (παράσιτος), passed into Latin as 'parasitus' and into Middle English as 'parasite'; the suffix '-cide' derives from Latin 'caedere'. The compound 'parasiticide' was formed in modern English by combining these elements to denote an agent that kills parasites.
Originally 'parasitos' meant 'one who eats at the table of another'; over time 'parasite' came to mean an organism living on or in a host, and combined with '-cide' the compound now specifically means 'a substance that kills parasites'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance or agent that kills parasites (organisms that live on or in a host).
The veterinarian prescribed a parasiticide to treat the dog's intestinal worms.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
having the property of killing parasites; used to describe a treatment or substance that destroys parasites.
A parasiticide shampoo was applied to control the flea infestation.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/29 05:17