herbicide

/ˌ(h)ərbəˈsaɪd/

/ˈhʌbɪsaɪd/

Other forms: herbicides

A chemical that's used on lawns or gardens to kill weeds is an herbicide. When herbicides are used on food crops, they target unwanted plants but leave the crops unharmed.

Some towns and cities have banned certain herbicides, fearing that they're not safe for humans, pets, and other animals. In many instances, herbicides are seen as a necessity for growing large crops or controlling invasive weeds that threaten structures as well as lawns and gardens. The word herbicide comes from the Latin roots herba, "grass, turf, or vegetation," and the suffix -cide, "killer."

Definitions of herbicide

1. noun

   a chemical agent that destroys plants or inhibits their growth
   synonyms: weed killer, weedkiller

   types:

   Agent Orange

   a herbicide used in the Vietnam War to defoliate forest areas

   atrazine

   a synthetic compound derived from triazine that is widely used as an agricultural herbicide

   linuron

   a herbicide that kills weeds without harming vegetables

   paraquat

   a poisonous yellow solid used in solution as a herbicide

   silvex

   a herbicide that is effective in controlling woody plants but is toxic to animals

   simazine

   a herbicide used to control weeds (especially among crops)

   type of:

   chemical, chemical substance

   material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules