dec·i·mate (d s  -m t )tr.v. dec·i·mat·ed, dec·i·mat·ing, dec·i·mates 1. To destroy or kill a large part of (a group). 2. Usage Problem a. To inflict great destruction or damage on: The fawns decimated my rose bushes. b. To reduce markedly in amount: a profligate heir who decimated his trust fund. 3. To select by lot and kill one in every ten of. [Latin decim re, decimt-, to punish every tenth person, from decimus, tenth, from decem, ten; see dek in Indo-European roots.]dec i·mation n.Usage Note: Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. Today this meaning is commonly extended to include the killing of any large proportion of a group. Sixty-six percent of the Usage Panel accepts this extension in the sentence The Jewish population of Germany was decimated by the war, even though it is common knowledge that the number of Jews killed was much greater than a tenth of the original population. However, when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage. |
decimate [ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt]
vb (tr)
1. to destroy or kill a large proportion of a plague decimated the population
2. (Military) (esp in the ancient Roman army) to kill every tenth man of (a mutinous section)
[from Latin decimāre, from decimus tenth, from decem ten]
decimation n
decimator n
Usage: One talks about the whole of something being decimated, not a part: disease decimated the population, not disease decimated most of the population
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Verb | 1. | decimate - kill one in every ten, as of mutineers in Roman armies annihilate, eradicate, wipe out, decimate, eliminate, carry off, extinguish - kill in large numbers; "the plague wiped out an entire population" kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" |
| 2. | decimate - kill in large numbers; "the plague wiped out an entire population" decimate - kill one in every ten, as of mutineers in Roman armies kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" |
decimate
verb
1. destroy, devastate, wipe out, ravage, eradicate, annihilate, put paid to, lay waste, wreak havoc on Pollution could decimate the river's population of kingfishers.
2. reduce, diminish, decrease, weaken, lessen, wind down, downsize The recession decimated the nation's manufacturing industry.
Usage: This word, which comes from Latin, originally referred to the slaughtering of one in ten soldiers, a practice of the army of Ancient Rome. In current language, however, the meaning of the word has broadened and it is now used not only to describe the destruction of people and animals, but also of institutions: overseas visitors will stay away in droves, decimating the tourist industry. Synonyms such as destroy (for sense 1) and reduce (for sense 2) are appropriate alternatives but because decimate should be used with regards to effects on the whole of something, rather than a part, it does not work as a synonym for them.
Translations
decimate
vt → dezimieren
v decimate [ˈdesimeit]
(of disease, battle etc) to reduce greatly in number The population was decimated by the plague. uitdun, afmaai, wegmaai يُهْلِكُ عَددا كَبيرا من покосявам decimovat, pustošit decimere; tynde ud dezimieren αποδεκατίζω diezmar suuresti vähendama تلفات سنگین وارد کردن؛ لت و پار کردن hävittää décimer לְהָשמִיד חֶלֶק נִיכָּר बड़ी संख्या में मारना decimalna frakcija (meg)tizedel mengurangi fækka stórlega decimare 多数を殺す 많은 사람을 죽이다 smarkiai/dešimt kartų sumažinti masveidā iznīcināt musnah satu persepuluh decimeren tynne(s) ut, redusere sterkt zdziesiątkować dizimar a decima истреблять decimovať zdesetkati desetkovati decimera ทำลายยับเยิน kırıp geçirmek, büyük bir kısmını yoketmek 大批殺死(或毀壞) косити; пустошити بھاری تخفیف کرنا sát hại nhiều 大批杀死（或毁坏）
n deciˈmation
desimering, uitdunning قَتْل عَدَد كَبيرٍ من покосяване decimování decimering; udtynding die Dezimierung αποδεκατισμός reducción catastrófica, acción de diezmar suur vähenemine تلفات زیاد harventuminen décimation הָשמָדָה שֶׁל הָחֶלֶק הַעִיקָרִי नाश desetkovati megtizedelés pengurangan stórfellt mannfall decimazione 激減 많은 사람을 죽임; 대폭 삭감 sumažinimas masveida iznīcināšana pemusnahan ini decimering stort mannefall, desimering zdziesiątkowanie dizimação decimare истребление decimovanie zdesetkanje desetkovanje decimering การทำลายล้างเป็นจำนวนมาก imha, katliam 大批殺死 спустошення بھاری تخفیف sự tiêu hao 大批杀死
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