pesticide
gb/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd/ us/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd/
B1
English
~ 4800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Chemical for killing pests
A chemical used to kill insects or other animals that damage plants or food.
Usage pattern:
[someone] uses [a pesticide] on [plants/crops]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pesticide' with 'fertilizer'. Fertilizer helps plants grow, while pesticide kills pests.
Synonyms
insecticide (More specific; refers only to chemicals that kill insects, not all pests.)
|
herbicide (Refers specifically to chemicals that kill plants/weeds.)
Antonyms
fertilizer (Opposite in purpose; fertilizer promotes plant growth rather than killing pests.)
Collocations
spray pesticide
|use pesticide
|pesticide residue
|pesticide exposure
|pesticide ban
Themes
agriculture
|environment
|science
|nature
Examples
- Farmers often spray pesticide to protect their crops from insects.
- The government is considering a ban on a dangerous pesticide.
- Pesticide residue was found on the vegetables.
- Using too much pesticide can harm the environment.
- This pesticide is effective against mosquitoes and flies.
Learner examples
- The farmer uses pesticide on his crops.
- This pesticide kills many bugs.
- We do not use pesticide in our garden.
- The food had pesticide on it.
- Pesticide can hurt bees.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pesticide
IPA
GB/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd/
US/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd/
Syllables & stress
pesti - cide (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pesti)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pesticide
- Plural: pesticide, pesticides
Word family
Expressions
pesticide residue
1/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd ɹˈɛzədˌu/
fixed phrase
technical
Leftover pesticide on food/surfaces
Small amounts of pesticide left on food or surfaces after it has been used.
Examples
- The apples were tested for pesticide residue.
- Washing fruit can help reduce pesticide residue.
pesticide-free
1/pˈɛstɪsˌaɪd fɹˈi/
fixed phrase
Not containing pesticides
Not having any pesticides used on it or in it.
Examples
- They only sell pesticide-free vegetables at the market.
- The label says the tea is pesticide-free.