Pests are insects or small animals which damage crops or food supplies.
...crops which are resistant to some of the major insect pests and diseases.
Each year ten percent of the crop is lost to a pest called corn rootworm.
...new and innovative methods of pest control.
2. countable noun
You can describe someone, especially a child, as a pest if they keep bothering you.
[informal, disapproval]
He climbed on the table, pulled my hair, and was generally a pest.
More Synonyms of pest
pest in British English
(pɛst)
noun
1.
a person or thing that annoys, esp by imposing itself when it is not wanted; nuisance
2.
a.
any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or humans, or reduces the fertility of land
b.
(as modifier)
pest control
3. rare
an epidemic disease or pestilence
Word origin
C16: from Latin pestis plague, of obscure origin
pest in American English
(pɛst)
noun
1.
a person or thing that causes trouble, annoyance, discomfort, etc.; nuisance; specif., any destructive or troublesome insect, small animal, weed, etc.
2. Rare
a fatal epidemic disease; esp., bubonic plague
Word origin
Fr peste < L pestis, plague
Examples of 'pest' in a sentence
pest
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Try to keep the centre of the plant open to reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
The Sun (2016)
Spray to get rid of pests and diseases for next year.
The Sun (2016)
They predict that Britain will lose two million of the trees to pests and disease over that period.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They can cause fires by gnawing electrical cables and eat away at beams, pest control firms warn.
The Sun (2016)
Dozens of councils charge residents up to 2.5 per cent to buy services such as pest control and bulk waste collections.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's important for a pest controller to inspect the affected room after treatment, and to declare it officially clear of bugs.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
BRITAIN'S most venomous spider has been added to a council's pest control list in a city dubbed the false widow capital of the UK.
The Sun (2017)
They can be controlled with either a chemical or biological pest control.
The Sun (2009)
Pest controllers worked through the night so the restaurants could reopen.
The Sun (2016)
Watch for signs of pest and disease.
The Sun (2009)
One idea is that the colours help to tell insect pests to buzz off.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The last three will need the mesh cover to keep off pests.
The Sun (2011)
Our dependency on pest control will once more increase.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Pest controllers have since given us a clean bill of health.
The Sun (2010)
They are largely free of pests and diseases.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He is working on identifying volatile chemicals that can be used to control pests.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
These leaves are no longer required and are prone to unwanted pests and fungal diseases.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They play a key role in the garden ecosystem and do a sterling job of keeping pests under control.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Pest controllers say the best way of killing off the moths is to put the clothes in the freezer.
The Sun (2010)
The park has been been forced to call in pest experts and put up warning signs after the barrage of complaints.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Any insect pests brought in on the plants can multiply fast in the warmth and are best controlled on first sight.
The Sun (2010)
He keeps coming in and out but he's a text pest.
The Sun (2008)
In addition, many are also important crop pests.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He also founded a company that researched another of his interests, the study of insect hormones for pest control.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The day surgery was closed and 30 patients sent home while pest control experts were called in to contain the problem.
The Sun (2014)
The Environmental Science course will examine how drones help catch poachers and monitor crop pests.
The Sun (2016)
TWO text pests who sent millions of spam messages face a 250,000 fine, a watchdog warned yesterday.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
pest
British English: pest /pɛst/ NOUN
A pest is an insect or small animal which damages crops or food supplies.
There are very few insect pests or diseases in this country.
American English: pest
Arabic: حَشَرَةٌ تَضُرُ الْزِرَاعَةَ
Brazilian Portuguese: pragas
Chinese: 害虫
Croatian: nametnik
Czech: škůdce
Danish: skadedyr
Dutch: ongedierte
European Spanish: plaga
Finnish: maanvaiva
French: animal nuisible
German: Plage
Greek: μάστιγα
Italian: insetto nocivo
Japanese: 害虫
Korean: 귀찮은 사람
Norwegian: plage
Polish: szkodnik
European Portuguese: infestação
Romanian: parazit
Russian: вредитель
Latin American Spanish: plaga
Swedish: pest
Thai: คนหรือสัตว์ที่รบกวน
Turkish: haşere
Ukrainian: сільськогосподарський шкідник
Vietnamese: sâu bọ
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All related terms of 'pest'
fowl pest
an acute and usually fatal viral disease of domestic fowl , characterized by refusal to eat, high temperature, and discoloration of the comb and wattles
pest control
killing of animal pests such as foxes , rats , mice
insect pest control
the killing , reduction or elimination of insects which are pests , using insecticide , etc
pest control officer
a person who gets rid of pests such as rats and mice
pest control department
the local government department responsible for controlling such pests as rats and mice
integrated pest management
an ecological approach to pest management that combines understanding the causes of pest outbreaks , manipulating the crop ecosystem for pest control, and monitoring pest populations and their life cycles to determine if and when the use of pesticides is indicated