Plural of herbicide; chemicals or substances used to kill plants or weeds.
From 'herba' (plant) plus '-cide' (killing), modeled on 'pesticide' and 'fungicide.' The term became common in the 20th century with industrial agriculture.
Herbicides revolutionized farming but also created a chemical arms race—weeds evolved resistance, leading farmers to spray stronger chemicals, a cycle that shaped modern agriculture and sparked the organic food movement.
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