Definitions
kill in large numbers
Word origin
The verb is first attested in 1591, the noun in 1641; borrowed from Latin decimātus, perfect passive participle of decimō (“to kill one tenth; to tithe”) (see, from -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from decimus (“tenth”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). As a noun, via Latin decimatus (“tithing area; tithing rights”).
Used in a sentence
“God sometimes decimates or tithes delinquent persons, and they died for a common crime, according as God hath cast their lot in the decrees of predestination.”
“Shall we decimate them? That sounds good, nice word. Remove one-tenth of the population!”
“[England] had decimated itself for a question which involved no principle, and led to no result.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Destroy much of”8 letters
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