neonicotinoid
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of a certain class of insecticides that act on the central nervous system in a similar way to nicotine.
Example Sentences
- "Neonicotinoids may be contributing towards the disappearance of butterflies from the countryside, according to the first scientific study to examine the effect of the controversial agricultural pesticides on British butterflies. […] [S]cientists at the universities of Stirling and Sussex, in partnership with Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, found that neonicotinoid use better explained steep population declines than other factors."
- "He thinks new classes of insecticides introduced in the last 20 years, including neonicotinoids and fipronil, have been particularly damaging as they are used routinely and persist in the environment: “They sterilise the soil, killing all the grubs.”"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *nu Proto-Indo-European *néwos Proto-Hellenic *néwos Ancient Greek νέος (néos) Ancient Greek νεο- (neo-)der. English neo- French Nicot Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnus French -in Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -am Old French -e French -e French -ine French nicotinebor. English nicotine Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o- Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *wéydos Proto-Hellenic *wéidos Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Proto-Hellenic *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ειδής (-eidḗs) Latin -oīdēslbor. English -oid English nicotinoid English neonicotinoid From neo- + nicotinoid.