Dictionary

ovicide en · NOUN · etymology 1

Etymology

From ovi- (“egg; ovum”) + -cide (“killer; killing”).

Meanings

1. (countable) Any substance designed to kill or destroy eggs or ova, especially those of insects, mites, or other pests or parasites.
2. (uncountable) The killing or destroying of eggs or ova.
   • Some parasitoids, however, avoid superparasitism by ovicide: a female who discovers a host that already contains a (conspecific) parasitoid egg finds that egg by probing with her ovipositor, kills it by puncturing, and then deposits her own. 2002, Michael D. Greenfield, “Oviposition Pheromones”, in Signalers and Receivers: Mechanisms and Evolution of Arthropod Communication, Oxford, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, chapter 3 (Chemical Signaling and the Olfactory Channel), section 3 (Nascent Sociality: […]), page 86:
   • Should she [the mother of a granivorous insect larva] attempt to reduce the competition faced by her offspring by some form of ovicide? 1985, R. H. Smith, C. M. Lessells, “Oviposition, ovicide and larval competition in granivorous insects”, in R. M. Sibly, R. H. Smith, editors, Behavioural Ecology: Ecological Consequences of Adaptive Behaviour […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Blackwell Scientific Publications, →ISBN, part IV (Breeding Behaviour and Population Dynamics), page 423:
   • Of course, fertilization is one necessary step in the process of development from an unfertilized ovum to a human being. But there are other necessary steps en route to becoming human. Far less confusion occurs if references to killing the ovum use just that language. Killing a fertilized ovum is ovicide, not murder! When the Roman Catholic bishops speak of the fertilized ovum as a “child,” they distort the discussion, […] 1991, John B[oswell] Cobb, Jr., “The Right to Live”, in Matters of Life and Death […], Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, →ISBN, page 78:

Forms

ovicide en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From ovi- (“sheep”) + -cide (“killing”).

Meanings

1. (humorous, rare, uncountable) The killing of sheep.
   • THE DAWN KILLER - Sheep-worrying saga with a loveable old sheepdog accused of ovicide and threatened with execution. Luckily kindly Mr. Hawkins agrees to train him back into doggie society. Kids in there somewhere, no doubt. 1998, “[The Compleat Children's Film Foundation] Spangles 'n' Stardust”, in TV Cream, archived from the original on 07 Dec 1998:
   • Last week an old sheep died upon the commons some miles from town. […] [M]aster Joshua had to walk into Bow street, and pay forty shillings for being found guilty of ovicide. 1833 September 14, “From the Nantucket Inquirer. The Newest News.”, in The United States Gazette, volume XXXIII, number 1957, Philadelphia, Pa.: Joseph R[ipley] Chandler, →OCLC, page [2], column 4:
   • Keen-eyed officers detect the mutton-bones which tell of unauthorised ovicide, and “clutches” of geese and chickens vanish as if by magic. 1880 November 13, [Bernard Henry Becker], “Disturbed Ireland. The Relief of Captain Boycott”, in The Daily News, number 10,789, London: William King Hales, published 15 November 1880, →OCLC, page 5, column 5:
   • A novel kind of Ovicide.—Last week, in a Gentleman’s park in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, a sheep was found greatly mangled, supposed by a dog. 1817 October 13, Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle, […], volume XVIII, number 940, Portsmouth, Hampshire: G. H. Mottley and W. Harrison, →OCLC, page [2], column 3: