忌避剤
解説 Definition
動物や昆虫が接近するのを防ぐ物質または製品。不快な臭いや作用によって害虫などを遠ざける。
Repellents are substances or products used to keep insects, animals, or other unwanted things away. They are commonly used on the skin, clothes, plants, or in outdoor areas. The word is often used for bug sprays and similar protective products.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず動詞 repel「追い払う・寄せつけない」を核にすると覚えやすいです。-ent は「そうするもの」、-s で複数なので、repellents は「追い払うものたち」＝忌避剤。insect repellent（虫よけ）や mosquito repellent の形で見ることが多く、スプレーやクリームを思い浮かべると定着します。似た語の pesticide は「殺す薬」で、repellent は kill ではなく keep away に重点がある点を区別すると混同しにくいです。
Start from the verb `repel`, which means to drive away. The ending `-ent` often means "a thing that does that," so `repellents` are things that keep something away. Think of common phrases like `insect repellent` and remember: it is about keeping away, not killing.
例文
Insect repellents protect against mosquito bites.
虫除け剤は蚊に刺されるのを防ぐ。
Effective repellents contain DEET or similar compounds.
効果的な忌避剤はDEETなどの化合物を含む。
Natural repellents are made from essential oils.
天然の忌避剤は精油から作られている。
repellents の類義語・関連語
repellents の語源・成り立ち Etymology
repellents は repel の名詞形で、ラテン語 repellere「押し返す・追い払う」に由来します。re-「後ろへ」+ pellere「押す」なので、虫や動物を近づけず遠ざける意味が、形の上からも納得できます。repel や expel が同根です。
Repellents comes from repel, which goes back to Latin repellere, meaning "drive back" or "push away." It is built from re- "back" + pellere "to push." The basic idea of forcing something away later became the modern sense of keeping insects or animals at a distance; expel is from the same root.
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