Definition

A substance that can kill or stop the growth of viruses.

Example

The doctor recommended a viricide to help treat the viral infection.

Conversation

Have you heard about the new viricide they developed?

Yeah, I read that it can help fight off a lot of viruses.

That’s amazing! I wonder how effective it really is.

I hope they test it thoroughly before releasing it to the public.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Viricide → It is formed from "virus" (from Latin *virus*, meaning poison or venom) and "-cide" (from Latin *caedere*, meaning to kill). The word "viricide" refers to a substance that kills viruses.

Memory Tip

Think of 'virus' as something harmful and '-cide' meaning to kill — that's why viricide means something that kills viruses.

Visually Confused Words