Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To subject to smoke or fumes, especially of certain chemicals, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect.
  • intransitive verb To employ smoke or fumes in order to exterminate or disinfect.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To darken the color of (wood) in imitation of the effect of age and smoke. The process is also known as fuming.
  • To apply smoke to; expose to the action of smoke.
  • Specifically To expose to the action of fumes (as of sulphur), as in disinfecting apartments, clothing, etc.
  • To perfume.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To apply smoke to; to expose to smoke or vapor; to purify, or free from infection, by the use of smoke or vapors.
  • transitive verb To smoke; to perfume.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To disinfect, purify, or rid of vermin with the fumes of certain chemicals.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin fūmigāre, fūmigāt-, to smoke : fūmus, smoke + agere, to drive, make; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin fumigatus, past participle of fumigare, from fūmus "smoke"

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Examples

  • Pat Quinn to come up quickly with ways to "fumigate" state government.

    unknown title 2009

  • Pat Quinn has said he wants to "fumigate" government.

    unknown title 2009

  • Pat Quinn is backing away from Speaker Michael Madigan's broad plan to "fumigate" the government's ranks with job cuts, bill would have purged as many as 3,000 state employees hired or appointed by disgraced former governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com 2009

  • George Ryan to recommend ways to "fumigate" state government.

    The Capitol Fax Blog 2009

  • The governor is promising to "fumigate" state government by reviewing Blagojevich agencies and appointees to make sure everyone's doing his job and following the law.

    Market News 2009

  • Pat Quinn has said he wants to "fumigate" government.

    unknown title 2009

  • Pat Quinn has said he wants to "fumigate" government.

    unknown title 2009

  • Pat Quinn has said he wants to "fumigate" government.

    unknown title 2009

  • Pat Quinn has said he wants to "fumigate" government.

    unknown title 2009

  • The governor is promising to "fumigate" state government by reviewing Blagojevich agencies and appointees to make sure everyone's doing his job and following the law.

    Market News 2009

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