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germicide

germicide

1 7.1
A substance that kills germs that can make people sick
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɜrmɪˌsaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : germicida
  • Many households keep a germicide in their cleaning supplies to ensure a safe living environment.

Examples

  • The hospital uses a powerful germicide to sanitize all surgical instruments.

  • Nine cans of germicide.

  • Bald, starving, stinking of germicides.

  • He learned of oxidisers, which had been used as a poultry germicide for years.

  • Her mouth of germicide Seducing all your glands ♪ ♪

  • So, one might naturally imagine that the temperature and radiation levels produced in a nuclear explosion would be the ultimate germicide, atomizing shallow-buried stockpiles of chemical agents before they could disperse into the environment.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Using a germicide can help prevent the spread of infections in public places.

Synonyms

disinfectant
vsgermicide
23 3.1

A substance that kills germs on surfaces to stop infection

is for destroying disease microbes broadly, not only surface use
sanitizer
vsgermicide
  • US
12 2.6

A product that kills germs on hands and surfaces

destroys harmful disease microbes rather than just reducing them
antiseptic
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
12 4.9

Free from germs and able to kill them

focuses on agents that destroy harmful microbes rather than the cleanliness state
microbicide
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A substance that kills germs like bacteria and viruses to prevent infection

targets disease-causing microbes specifically to destroy them
sterilant
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A chemical that kills all germs and makes things free of bacteria and viruses

targets only harmful, disease-causing microbes rather than all microbes
biocide
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A chemical that kills harmful living things like bacteria or fungi

restricts this to disease-causing microorganisms rather than larger pests
antimicrobial
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
5.3

A substance that kills or stops the growth of germs that cause disease

focuses on destroying harmful microbes rather than only inhibiting them
antimicrobic
vsgermicide
  • Specialized
6.9

A thing like heat, light or a chemical that kills germs and prevents their growth

emphasizes substances that destroy harmful disease-causing microbes

How Germ-Killing

sterilant
  • Specialized
1 7.2
germicide
  • Specialized
1 7.1
disinfectant
23 3.1
antiseptic
  • Specialized
3 3.7

Surface Forms

germicide singular
germicides plural

Morphology

germicide = germ (transparent) = germ + cide

The word is built transparently from 'germ' + '-cide', with the suffix meaning 'killer' or 'destroyer'.

Etymology

Germicide combines germ ('tiny living thing') and -cide ('to kill'), the same ending you see in pesticide and homicide, so a germicide is something that 'kills germs' and so is used to clean and help stop disease.