exterminate
English edit
Etymology edit
From Latin exterminātus, perfect passive participle of exterminō, itself from ex- + terminō (“I finish, close, end”) (from terminus (“limit, end”)).
Pronunciation edit
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/, /ɪkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/, /ɛkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/
Audio (US) (file)
Verb edit
exterminate (third-person singular simple present exterminates, present participle exterminating, simple past and past participle exterminated)
- (transitive) To kill all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
- We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
- 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Geth Codex entry:
- The geth are a humanoid race of networked A.I.s. They were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. When the geth showed signs of self-evolution, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war. This example has led to legal, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society.
- (figuratively, transitive) To bring a definite end to; finish completely.
- The public school failed to exterminate truancy.
Synonyms edit
- (to kill all): annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot
- (to bring an end to): stamp out
- See also Thesaurus:destroy
Derived terms edit
Derived terms
Related terms edit
Translations edit
to kill all of a population
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to bring a definite end to, finish completely
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Latin edit
Verb edit
extermināte
Spanish edit
Verb edit
exterminate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of exterminar combined with te