| pest | A general term for organisms (rats, insects, etc.) which may cause illness or damage or consume food crops and other materials important to humans. (09 Oct 1997) |
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| pest control | The reduction or regulation of the population of noxious, destructive, or dangerous insects or other animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pest control, biological | The use of biological mechanisms, usually involving living organisms such as bacteria, for the reduction or regulation of the population of noxious, destructive, or dangerous pests. Environmental concerns have focused attention on natural forms of disease control as potentially safe and effective alternatives to chemical pesticides. This has led to increased efforts to develop control strategies that rely on natural predators and parasites or that involve genetically engineered microbial pest control agents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| PEST sequence | Amino acid motif that is thought to target cytoplasmic proteins for rapid proteolytic degradation. (18 Nov 1997) |
| peste des petits ruminants virus | A highly contagious systemic disease of sheep and goats in West Africa, caused by a morbillivirus called peste des petits ruminants virus. It is characterised by fever, anorexia, a necrotic stomatitis with gingivitis, diarrhoea and can often cause a severe, often fatal enteritis and pneumonia. (20 Sep 2002) |
| pester | 1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty vexations. "We are pestered with mice and rats." (Dr. H. More) "A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world." (Dryden) 2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to infest. "All rivers and pools . . . Pestered full with fishes." (Holland) Origin: Abbrev. Fr. Impester, fr. OF. Empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, F. Empetrer; pref. Em-, en- (L. In in) + LL. Pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, fr. L. Pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, pastor a herdsman. See In, and Pasture, Pastor. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pesthouse | A house or hospital for persons who are infected with any pestilential disease. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pesticaemia | Bacteraemia due to Yersinia pestis. Origin: L. Pestis, plague, + G. Haima, blood (05 Mar 2000) |
| pesticide | <pharmacology> A chemical which is used to kill unwanted organisms such as rats, insects, nematodes, etc. Pesticides often act as nerve poisons, and they are hazardous to animals and humans (some pesticides can cause nerve or liver damage, birth defects and cancer). See: biological magnification and herbicide. (09 Oct 1997) |
| pesticide residues | Pesticides or their breakdown products remaining in the environment following their normal use or accidental contamination. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pesticide synergists | Chemicals that, while not possessing inherent pesticidal activity, nonetheless promote or enhance the effectiveness of other pesticides when combined. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pesticides | Chemicals used to destroy pests of any sort. The concept includes fungicides (fungicides, industrial), insecticide, rodenticides, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pestiferous | Relating to or tending to produce a pestilence. Synonym: pestiferous. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pestilence | 1. Specifically, the disease known as the plague; hence, any contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating. "The pestilence That walketh in darkness." (Ps. Xci. 6) 2. That which is pestilent, noxious, or pernicious to the moral character of great numbers. "I'll pour this pestilence into his ear. <botany>" (Shak) Pestilence weed, the butterbur coltsfoot (Petasites vulgaris), so called because formerly considered a remedy for the plague. Origin: F. Pestilence, L. Pestilentia. See Pestilent. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pestilential | Relating to or tending to produce a pestilence. Synonym: pestiferous. (05 Mar 2000) |
| swine pest | An acute, highly contagious disease affecting swine of all ages and caused by the hog cholera virus. It has a sudden onset with high morbidity and mortality. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| fowl pest | Infection of domestic and wild fowl and other birds with influenza a virus, avian. (12 Dec 1998) |