viricide

V4I1R1I1C3I1D2E1

noun

Any substance that destroys or inactivates viruses.

Similar
husbandicidemariticidevirucide
OriginEnglish virus ← Middle English virus ← Latin vīrus →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

viricide1

nounviricide (plural viricides)

plural viricides · alternative virucide · alternative viruscide

  1. medicineAny substance that destroys or inactivates viruses.

viricide2

nounviricide (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe act of killing one's husband.

    The impious Danaides, Grecian ſtories tell, / For barbarous viricide, condemn’d to hell, / Pour ſtreams in leaky tubs for evermore, / Whoſe pervious bottoms ſpout at every pore: […]

    1766, [Melchior de Polignac], translated by George Canning, A Translation of Anti-Lucretius, London: […] [F]or the Author; And sold by J. Dodsley, J. Almon, […], →OCLC, page 71

    Synonyms: husbandicide, mariticide

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of killing one's husband.

Similar
husbandicidemariticide

More synonyms by meaning

nounan agent (physical or chemical) that inactivates or destroys viruses

Similar
virucide
Broader
agent
Also see
husbandicidemariticide

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

viricide · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*weys-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wisós
  3. Proto-Italic*weizos
  4. Latinvīrus
  5. Middle Englishvirus
  6. Englishvirus
  7. Englishviricide

From virus + -icide.

Full word history & related roots →

viricide · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*weyh₁-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wiHrós
  3. Proto-Italic*wiros
  4. Latinvir
  5. Englishviricide

From Latin vir + English -icide.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan viricida
  • viricidaany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
Finnish virusmyrkky
  • virusmyrkkyany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
French virucide
  • virucideany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
Italian viricide
  • viricideany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
Polish środek wirusobójczy
  • środek wirusobójczyany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
Portuguese viricida, virucida
  • viricidaany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
  • virucidaany substance that destroys or inactivates viruses
Cite this entry
APA

viricide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viricide

MLA

“viricide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viricide. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “viricide,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viricide.

Source: viricide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.