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pest Definition

pest (pest)

noun

  1. a person or thing that causes trouble, annoyance, discomfort, etc.; nuisance; specif., any destructive or troublesome insect, small animal, weed, etc.
  2. Now Rare a fatal epidemic disease; esp., bubonic plague

Etymology: Fr peste < L pestis, plague

pest Synonyms

pest

n.

  1. Anything destructive

    virus, germ, insect pest, bug, harmful bird, bird of prey, destructive animal; see also disease, insect.

    Common pests include: house fly, mosquito, flea, louse, mite, chigger, bedbug, ant, silverfish, earwig, mealybug, cricket, grub, cockroach, termite, carpenter ant, fire ant, centipede, millipede, tick, botfly, screw-worm fly, leaf hopper, aphid, codling moth, peachtree borer, Japanese beetle, Colorado beetle, grain beetle, corn borer, boll weevil, San Jose scale, oyster shell scale, squash bug, peach moth, gypsy moth, hawk moth, wasp, wireworm, cutworm, tent caterpillar, plum curculio, pear slug, tomato slug, mouse, rat, gopher, prairie dog, woodchuck, groundhog, rabbit, mole, weasel, coyote, hawk.

  2. A nuisance

    bother, vexation, thorn in the side, annoyance; see trouble 2.

pest Usage Examples

Preposition: of

brassica: Pigeons are serious pests of brassicas and other vegetables.

Converse of object

  • eradicate: The premises were immediately closed so the owner could clean up and eradicate the pests.
  • deter: They also help deter pests from food scraps, and neighbors often appreciate not having to look at an ugly, uncovered pile.
  • repel: Some cooking herbs even have properties that repel common insect pests and garden diseases, which is an added benefit to your vegetables.
  • resist: With good organic practice they increase soil and plant vitality which helps plants resist pests and diseases.

Adjective modifier

  • controlling: The Pest Control Service which is part of the Environmental Health Service can give advice on the best way of controlling pests.
  • vertebrate: Broom, D. M. ( 1999 ) The welfare of vertebrate pests in relation to their management.
  • agricultural: Our main findings are: Learning is likely to be important in how agricultural pests choose upon which plants to lay their eggs.
  • invertebrate: Invertebrate pests are mostly specific to particular ornamental plants and greenhouse crops, and do not cause a problem in the wider environment.
  • troublesome: Spray apples against Bitter Bit with calcium nitrate Use a suitable insecticide to control the most troublesome pests.

Modifies a noun

  • infestation: In addition, advice is given on simple measures to avoid pest infestation.
  • control: To book a pest control service please call 01242 264 204.
  • controller: Commercial pest controllers can be found in the Yellow Pages under Pest Control.
  • weed: You can get additional information and advice by following the links to specific crop pages and the pest weed and disease pages.
  • resistance: Pest resistance The corn borer destroys up to 7 % of the world's maize harvest each year.

Noun used with modifier

  • insect: Does the Council provide a service for treating insect pests?
  • brassica: In all the cases the smell of the intercrop will tend to confuse the brassica pest.
  • arthropod: In Management of plant diseases and arthropod pests by biocontrol agents and their integration into agricultural systems.
  • nematode: The nematode pest, once established, can cause severe damage to plant roots and seriously affect crop yield.
  • fowl: Outbreaks of Newcastle Disease ( fowl pest ) are the main constraint to village chicken production, causing fatalities of up to 100 % .