bactericidal

[ bak-teer-uh-sahyd-l ]

adjective

, Pharmacology.

1. killing bacteria; capable of or used for killing bacteria:

   Silver is used in water filtration because it is known to be a solid bactericidal agent.

   Eventually the bactericidal action of the chemical sanitizer may be exhausted.

Other Words From

• bac·te·ri·cid·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of bactericidal¹

First recorded in 1875–80; bacteri(um) ( def ) + -cidal ( def )

Example Sentences

Those findings suggested a bactericidal activity against the pathogen.

From Science Daily

Hollmann tested her treatment on his patients, and he saw that the ethyl esters were bactericidal, capable of killing bacteria.

From New York Times

Otolaryngologist Noam Cohen of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues determined that tuft cells in the nasal passages respond to bitter chemicals and release IL-25, spurring neighboring cells to pump out bactericidal proteins.

From Science Magazine

Second, North points to the 1980s fashion among food manufacturers, at the supermarkets’ behest, for a blander, lower-vinegar mayonnaise: “Mrs Beeton’s classic mayonnaise recipe was actively bactericidal.”

From The Guardian

Other perchlorates found on Mars had a similar bactericidal effect.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• hygienic
• sterile