The Collaborative International Dictionary
germicidal \ger"mi*ci`dal\ (j[~e]r"m[i^]*s[imac]`dal), a. [Germ + L. caedere to kill + -al.] (Biol.) Destructive to germs; -- applied to any agent which has a killing action upon living microorganisms, particularly bacteria or viruses, which are the cause of many infectious diseases.
Syn: antiseptic.
Wiktionary
a. that kills pathogenic organisms; disinfectant
WordNet
adj. preventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms [syn: bactericidal, disinfectant]
Usage examples of "germicidal".
The action of chrysarobin on the skin is not due to germicidal properties, but to its chemical affinity for the keratin elements of the skin.
He was, Ham happened to know, endeavoring to perfect a selective germicidal disinfecting agent which would be effective in epithelial tissue, where a certain type of cancer was its inception.