siblicide

Syllables: sib·li·cide/ˈsɪblɪsaɪd/

siblicide noun: the killing of a sibling, especially as observed among certain species of animals.

Noun

siblicide (countable and uncountable, plural siblicides)

The killing of a sibling, especially as observed among certain species of animals.
- I continue to question the interpretation of "fatal sibling aggression" and active brood reduction as a means of maximizing productivity[…]. To me, the data clearly indicate a simple response to food availability, with the oldest young passively out-competing its smaller sibling for a limited...1981 winter, Ralph W. Schreiber, “Book Review: The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf: Oceanography and Resources, 1981. Edited by D. W. Hood and J. A. Calder. 2 Volumes. 1339 pp. Available from the University...
- Oophagy and adelphophagy, which are forms of embryonic cannibalism, occur in both cartilaginous and bony fishes. They are variations on the tactic of siblicide (Mock, 1984) as a reproductive strategy. In oophagy, embryos feed upon sibling eggs. […] Adelphophagy, literally eating one's brother, is...1988, John P. Wourms, Bryon D. Grove, Julian Lombardi, “The Maternal–Embryonic Relationship in Viviparous Fishes”, in W. S. Hoar, D. J. Randall, editors, Fish Physiology, volumes XI (The Physiology...

I still have not seen data to support "siblicide" as a strategy.1981 winter, Ralph W. Schreiber, “Book Review: The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf: Oceanography and Resources, 1981. Edited by D. W. Hood and J....
They are variations on the tactic of siblicide (Mock, 1984) as a reproductive strategy.1988, John P. Wourms, Bryon D. Grove, Julian Lombardi, “The Maternal–Embryonic Relationship in Viviparous Fishes”, in W. S. Hoar, D. J....
Obligate siblicide is best known in various eagles, boobies, and pelicans.1994, L. Scott Forbes, Douglas W. Mock, “Proximate and Ultimate Determinants of Avian Brood Reduction”, in Stefano Parmigiani, Frederick S....
If siblicides are victim-based, a mother clearly cannot improve her fitness by producing fewer eggs.1997, Douglas W. Mock, Geoffrey A[lan] Parker, The Evolution of Sibling Rivalry (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution), Oxford...

plural	siblicides

From sibli(ng) + -cide (suffix meaning ‘killing; killer’).

What does siblicide mean?: Siblicide means the killing of a sibling, especially as observed among certain species of animals.
How do you use siblicide in a sentence?: I still have not seen data to support "siblicide" as a strategy.
What part of speech is siblicide?: Siblicide is a noun.
How do you pronounce siblicide?: Siblicide is pronounced /ˈsɪblɪsaɪd/ (UK).
What is the plural of siblicide?: The plural of siblicide is siblicides.

Adapted from Wiktionary: siblicide (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-siblicide.wav.

Cite this entry: “siblicide.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/siblicide. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.