Eradicants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance or agent that eliminates or destroys unwanted organisms or pests, such as weeds or insects
2. An item used in agriculture or gardening to remove or control harmful plants or insects
3. A chemical or biological means designed to eradicate specific species that are detrimental to crops or health

Etymology: Latin "radix" meant "root," the same root that gave English "radish" and "radical." The Latin verb "eradicare" meant "to pull up by the root," combining "e-" (out) with "radix," so to eradicate something was to tear it out from below the surface. The English verb kept that literal sense of uprooting plants before it took on the broader meaning of destroying something completely, whether a disease, a belief, or a pest. The noun "eradicant" is built from the verb with the suffix "-ant," which marks an agent that performs an action, as in "lubricant" or "deterrent." An eradicant is therefore any substance or tool that does the rooting-out work.

Synonyms: pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, chemicals