noun
- A class of insecticides chemically similar to nicotine, widely used in agriculture to control pests on crops; short for neonicotinoids.
Usage: plural noun; technical/agricultural; often used in environmental and scientific contexts
Examples
- Farmers have relied on neonics for decades to protect their crops from aphids and other insects.
- The use of neonics has become controversial due to concerns about their effects on bee populations.
- Regulatory agencies have restricted the application of certain neonics in some regions.
- Neonics work by affecting the nervous systems of target insects.
- Environmental groups have called for a ban on neonics to protect pollinators.