-cide

1. a learned borrowing from Latin meaning “killer,” “act of killing,” used in the formation of compound words:

   pesticide, homicide.

-cide

combining form

1. indicating a person or thing that kills

   insecticide

2. indicating a killing; murder

   homicide

–cide

1. A suffix that means “a killer of.” It is used to form the names of chemicals that kill a specified organism, such as pesticide, a chemical that kills pests.

Derived Forms

• -cidal, combining_form:in_adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of -cide¹

late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin -cīda “killer,” -cīdium “act of killing,” derivatives of caedere “to strike, beat, cut down, kill” (in compounds -cīdere )

Word History and Origins

Origin of -cide¹

from Latin -cīda (agent), -cīdium (act), from caedere to kill

Example Sentences

“Mexico’s most important election is taking place on Nov. 5,” said Carlos A. Pérez Ricart, a professor at Mexican public research center CIDE, referring to the U.S. presidential election.

From Seattle Times

Professional gardeners and certified applicators who work in agriculture are at an advantage with chemicals, though, knowing which “cide” is the right one and when and where exactly to apply them.

From Seattle Times

But for Sister Candy Cide, the most meaningful support she received came from her biological family.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a mask, and sometimes people are more comfortable talking to a mask than an actual person’s face,” Sister Candy Cide said.

From Los Angeles Times

“We are heartbroken at the news of Funny Cide’s passing this morning. What a ride The Gutsy Gelding took us on winning @KentuckyDerby & @PreaknessStakes. We are so grateful to @KyHorsePark for giving our guy a wonderful retirement. To say we will miss him, is an understatement,” the stable tweeted.

From Seattle Times

Words That Use -cide

What does -cide mean?

The combining form –cide is used like a suffix meaning “killer” or “act of killing.” It is often used in a variety of scientific and technical terms.

The form –cide ultimately comes from Latin caedere, meaning “to kill, to strike down.”

What are variants of –cide?

While –cide does not have any variants, it is related to the combining form –cidal, which is used to form adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in –cide, as in patricidal. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on –cidal.

Examples of -cide

An example of a word you may have encountered that features –cide is pesticide, also known as a biocide, “a chemical preparation for destroying plant, fungal, or animal pests.”

The pest– part of the word means “pest,” from Latin pestis, meaning “plague.” A pest is an insect or other organism that causes destruction or illness. The –cide part of the word means “killer.” Pesticide literally translates to “pest killer.”

What are some words that use or are related to the combining form –cide?

• cytocide
• fungicide
• genocide
• homicide (using the equivalent form of –cide in Latin)
• oxyuricide
• patricide
• regicide
• spermicide
• suicide

What are some other forms that –cide may be commonly confused with?

• -cion
• -cline
• -cule
• -cyte

Break it down!

The combining form cyto– means “cell.” With this in mind, what does the scientific term cytocide literally mean?