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-cide

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a learned borrowing from Latin meaning “killer,” “act of killing,” used in the formation of compound words: pesticide, homicide.
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Origin of -cide

late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin -cīda “killer,” -cīdium “act of killing,” derivatives of caedere “to strike, beat, cut down, kill” (in compounds -cīdere )
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use -cide in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -cide

-cide

n combining form
indicating a person or thing that killsinsecticide
indicating a killing; murderhomicide

Derived forms of -cide

-cidal, adj combining form

Word Origin for -cide

from Latin -cīda (agent), -cīdium (act), from caedere to kill
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for -cide

-cide

suff.
Killer:bactericide.
Act of killing:suicide.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for -cide

-cide

A suffix that means “a killer of.” It is used to form the names of chemicals that kill a specified organism, such as pesticide, a chemical that kills pests.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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