Fumigate
/ˈfjuːmɪɡeɪt/noun
To disinfect or purify something by exposing it to smoke or vapor.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *fumigāre*, was used for making something smoke or perfume it with fumes, so the word’s oldest energy is closer to sacred smoke than modern pest control.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheus-
“to smoke, emit vapor”
Latin
Latin
fumus
“smoke, vapor”
Latin
Latin
fumigāre
“to smoke, fumigate, perfume with fumes”
Late Latin
Latin
fumigātus
“smoked, exposed to smoke”
Middle French
Old French
fumiguer
“to fumigate”
Late 16th Century
English
fumigate
“to expose to smoke or fumes for cleansing or disinfection”