Standard Lemma guide

biocide

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪəʊsaɪd/
  • General-American: /ˈbaɪoʊsaɪd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any action or substance that can destroy living organisms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gweyh3-der. Ancient Greek βῐ́ος (bĭ́os) Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-)der. English bio- Proto-Indo-European *kh2eyd-der. Proto-Italic *kaidō Latin caedō Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-eh2 Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -a Latin -cīdader. Middle French -cidebor. English -cide English biocide From bio- + -cide.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: biocida — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Dutch: biocide — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Finnish: biosidi — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • French: biocide — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • German: Biozid — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Irish: bithicíd — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Polish: biocyd — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Portuguese: biocida — any substance that can destroy living organisms
  • Spanish: biocida — any substance that can destroy living organisms