Vermicides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of chemical agent used to kill or control worms, particularly parasitic ones that infest crops or livestock
2. Designed to eliminate soil-dwelling or agricultural pests that negatively impact plant growth
3. Often utilized in agriculture and public health to manage harmful nematodes and other similar organisms that threaten ecosystems

Etymology: "Vermicides" is the plural of "vermicide," a compound built from the Latin "vermis," meaning "worm," and the English suffix "-cide," from Latin "caedere," "to kill." The pattern is the same as "insecticide" or "herbicide," with the first element naming the target: a vermicide is simply a substance that kills worms. The suffix does most of the work here. "-cide" is a combining form that English took from Latin and uses to name killing agents, so the word reads almost like a label on a bottle. Its first element, "vermis," also gave English "vermin" and "vermicular," the latter describing things that move like a worm.

Synonyms: anthelmintics