Standard Lemma guide

fumigate

verb · 2 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.

  • /ˈfjuːmɪɡeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F Y UW1 M AH0 G EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To disinfect, purify, or rid of vermin with the fumes of certain chemicals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fume

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: process, treat

History

Etymology

First attested in 1530; borrowed from Latin fūmigātus, perfect passive participle of fūmigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fūmus (“smoke”).

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: опушвам (opušvam) — disinfect
  • Catalan: fumigar — disinfect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熏製 (xūnzhì) — disinfect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 香薰 (xiāngxūn) — disinfect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 消毒 (xiāodú) — disinfect
  • Danish: desinficere (disinfecting) — disinfect
  • Danish: gasse — disinfect
  • Dutch: uitroken — disinfect
  • Esperanto: fumigacii — disinfect
  • Finnish: desinfioida — disinfect
  • Finnish: savustaa — disinfect
  • French: fumiger — disinfect
  • German: ausräuchern — disinfect
  • Ancient Greek: θειόω (theióō) — disinfect
  • Japanese: 消毒する (shōdokusuru) — disinfect
  • Latin: fūmigō — disinfect
  • Māori: tāpoa — disinfect
  • Portuguese: fumigar — disinfect
  • Russian: оку́ривать (okúrivatʹ) — disinfect
  • Spanish: fumigar — disinfect
  • Tagalog: suubin — disinfect
  • Volapük: sesmokädön — disinfect