biocide
noun
bio·cide
ˈbī-ə-ˌsīd 
: a substance (such as an algicide or fungicide) that destroys or inhibits the growth or activity of living organisms
Sodium azide is an explosive, broad-spectrum biocide with toxicity comparable to sodium cyanide's.—
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Science NewsExamples of biocide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many flower food packets are just a mix of sugar (which helps the blooms and buds open up), citric acid (helps prevent bacterial growth in the water), and a biocide like bleach (which also helps disinfect the water and prevent bacteria).
—Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025
Whereas open fire converted dead biomass into nutrients and purged sites of pests and competing plants, modern agriculture relies on petrochemicals that get cooked into fertilizer and biocides and delivered by pumps, planes and tractors powered by fossil fuels.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet, without a functional waste management system, plastic and other non- biodegradable trash accumulates on roadsides, mountain creeks and beaches, often seeping biocides that further degrade those ecosystems.
—Vogue, 17 Feb. 2023
No one is planning to inflict massive biocide like Thanos in the Marvel Avengers films.
—Matthew Cobb, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
There’s growing concern that overuse of triclosan, the biocide in hand soap, leads to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, disrupts hormones in the body and may contribute to certain types of cancer.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 2 Sep. 2016
For brick pavers that get a greenish or blackish hue from moss and lichen, damp shady environments, or water run-off, the BIA recommends bleach and water (mixed with a one-to-one ratio) or commercially available biocide treatments.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2022
Another target is to cut pollution from biocides, plastic wastes, and excess nutrients by at least 50%.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 14 Jan. 2020
Waterford masks contain a biocide that protects medical workers and other wearers from infectious diseases better than existing masks, which were designed more to safeguard patients than wearers, the company says.
—Joseph A. Mann Jr, miamiherald, 9 Mar. 2018
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Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025
Whereas open fire converted dead biomass into nutrients and purged sites of pests and competing plants, modern agriculture relies on petrochemicals that get cooked into fertilizer and biocides and delivered by pumps, planes and tractors powered by fossil fuels.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet, without a functional waste management system, plastic and other non- biodegradable trash accumulates on roadsides, mountain creeks and beaches, often seeping biocides that further degrade those ecosystems.
—Vogue, 17 Feb. 2023
No one is planning to inflict massive biocide like Thanos in the Marvel Avengers films.
—Matthew Cobb, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
There’s growing concern that overuse of triclosan, the biocide in hand soap, leads to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, disrupts hormones in the body and may contribute to certain types of cancer.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 2 Sep. 2016
For brick pavers that get a greenish or blackish hue from moss and lichen, damp shady environments, or water run-off, the BIA recommends bleach and water (mixed with a one-to-one ratio) or commercially available biocide treatments.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2022
Another target is to cut pollution from biocides, plastic wastes, and excess nutrients by at least 50%.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 14 Jan. 2020
Waterford masks contain a biocide that protects medical workers and other wearers from infectious diseases better than existing masks, which were designed more to safeguard patients than wearers, the company says.
—Joseph A. Mann Jr, miamiherald, 9 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Biocide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biocide. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
biocide
noun
bio·cide
ˈbī-ə-ˌsīd
: a substance (as glutaraldehyde) that is destructive to many different organisms
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