bugicide

plural bugicides

1. countableuncountableA substance that kills bugs.

   “Tincture of bugicide,” he thought, would occupy an honored place on the shelves of future druggists, for he was a firm believer in the germ theory.

   1883 January 10, “The Social at the College of Pharmacy—Profs. Cook and Van Derbeck Lecture”, in The Philadelphia Inquirer, volume CVIII, Philadelphia, Pa., page 2, column 4

   3 more examples

   From the report of the Department of Agriculture, it is readily observed that many of the firms making insecticides and bugicides are marketing their product with faulty labels and have come under the notice of the government.

   1914, Monthly Review of the Dairy and Food Division, pages 6–7

   Around each bug will be its enemy, the bugicide. We have figured on two shelves, as you will note, and the grouping should be made in relation to the most salable bugicide in your locality.

   1920, National Drug Clerk: The Journal of the National Association of Drug Clerks, page 332, column 2

   There’s another unwritten rule of gardening – never count the money spent on whatever you’re growing. By the time you figure in the cost of fertilizer, fungicides, bugicides, mulch, soil conditioners, equipment and the like, your total cost is outrageous.

   1994 April 16, “Today’s showplace is tomorrow’s arid wasteland”, in The Item, volume 99, number 181, Sumter, S.C., page 3A

2. countablerareuncountableThe killing of a bug.

   After each bugicide, we listen for the buzz of escapees.

   1995 July 16, Jan Worth, “A Night Out”, in The Detroit News and Free Press, Detroit, Mich.

   3 more examples

   It turned out that the Roaches were cockroaches and the girl was found guilty of justifiable “bugicide.”

   1869 December 16, Reading Times, volume XXIV, number 62, Reading, Pa., column 4

   The uniformed bugs will hold out warrants for the arrest of each member of the Canrobert household. The charge: bugicide, 15 counts.

   1999 September 1, Mary Canrobert, “I’m bugged by nightmarish guilt over my young Dr. Doom”, in The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C., page 1V

   Both of us watched in silence as Nosey zoomed to and fro, committing bugicide after bugicide.

   2005, Ann Halam, Siberia