pest
noun
\ ˈpest
\
\
Definition of pest
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Other Words from pest
pesty
\ ˈpe-stē
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of pest in a Sentence
These insects are pests for farmers.
mice and other household pests
You're being a real pest. Would you leave us alone, please?
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Recent Examples on the Web
Duckett, 34, a manager for a pest-control company, thanked those on hand for their continued prayers not only for Trenton but for all missing children and their families. — Jerry Fallstrom, orlandosentinel.com, "Trenton Duckett, Leesburg boy missing since 2006, remembered at candlelight vigil," 28 Aug. 2019 Good sanitation practices and pest control minimize contact with infected fleas and rodents to help prevent plague pandemics. — Jenny Howard, National Geographic, "Plague, explained," 20 Aug. 2019 In a March letter to city Councilman John T. Bullock, the housing authority’s executive director, Janet Abrahams, highlighted rising inspection scores, improved security and a new pest control program targeting rats. — Danielle Ohl, ProPublica, "Trump Called Baltimore “Vermin Infested” While the Federal Government Fails to Clean Up Rodents in Subsidized Housing," 14 Aug. 2019 And pig hunting is the most popular method of pest control -- but not necessarily the most effective, researchers with the institute said. — Scottie Andrew And Brian Ries, CNN, "How '30-50 feral hogs' took center stage in a fractured America's gun debate," 6 Aug. 2019 For the past few years, a handful of Maryland horse farms have gotten a unique kind of pest control. — Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "Could lab mice born to wild parents improve the search for human cures?," 1 Aug. 2019 At least one pest extermination service also says they’ve been called in for mice in numerous private homes in Mat-Su and Anchorage. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Wasilla store contends with ‘large-scale’ rodent problem," 18 Aug. 2019 These sometimes pests are native to Mexico but now prevalent in the southern states. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Good care leads to bountiful banana harvest," 17 Aug. 2019 But with more than 450 tree-feeding pests introduced to its forests through international travel and commerce, the U.S. is especially vulnerable. — NBC News, "Survey of U.S. forests ties tree-killing insects to climate change," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pest
pest
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pest
: an animal or insect that causes problems for people especially by damaging crops
informal
: a person who bothers or annoys other people
See the full definition for pest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pest
noun
\ ˈpest
\
\
Kids Definition of pest
1
: nuisance
… Kirsti was such a pest, always butting in.— Lois Lowry, Number the Stars
2
: a plant or animal that is harmful to humans or property
3
: pestilence
pest
noun
\ ˈpest
\
\
Medical Definition of pest
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns
Other Words from pest
pesty
\ ˈpes-tē
\
adjective
\
adjective
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