Vulpicide
/ˈvʌl.pɪ.saɪd/noun
The killing of a fox, especially in the context of fox hunting or pest control.
Did you know?The ending -cide comes from Latin caedere, “to cut or strike down,” the same root behind decide, incision, and suicide.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wĺ̥p-os
“Fox; the reconstructed ancestor of Latin vulpes”
Classical Latin
Latin
vulpēs
“Fox”
Classical Latin
Latin
caedere
“To cut, strike, or kill”
Late Latin / New Latin
Latin
vulpicida
“Fox-killer or one who kills foxes, formed from vulpes plus -cida”
19th Century
English
vulpicide
“The killing of foxes”
Modern English
English
vulpicide
“The act or practice of killing a fox”