cidal
cidal — suffix
1. Used to form adjectives meaning 'killing a specific type of living thing' or 'ha
Used to form adjectives meaning 'killing a specific type of living thing' or 'having the power or intention to kill that thing'. For example, a substance described as insecticidal kills insects, while a person described as homicidal intends to murder another human being.
Police arrested a man who reportedly made homicidal statements about his landlord during the argument.
homicidal statements — describing intent to kill another person
After losing his job, Tyler began having suicidal thoughts and agreed to see a counsellor.
suicidal thoughts — describing intent toward oneself
The court ruled the regime waged a genocidal campaign against the ethnic minority group.
Nellie sprayed an insecticidal solution on her rose bushes to kill the greenfly infestation.
Cyrus treated the damp bathroom walls with a fungicidal paint that prevents mould from growing.
- life-saving
Describes something that preserves rather than destroys life
- protective
Focuses on shielding rather than killing
文法句型
noun-stem + -cidal → adjective
用法筆記
The -cidal form is an adjective-forming suffix. Its noun counterpart is -cide. For example, a bactericidal spray (adjective) kills germs, while the spray itself is a bactericide (noun). These two forms are frequently confused by English learners.