exterminate

Word family

ex·ter·mi·nate /ɪkˈstɜːməneɪt $ -ɜːr-/ verb [transitiveT]

KILLto kill large numbers of people or animals of a particular type so that they no longer exist 滅絕，根除

Staff use the poison to exterminate moles and rabbits.

員工用毒藥來消滅鼹鼠和野兔。

► see thesaurus at kill

—exterminator noun [countableC]

—extermination /ɪkˌstɜːməˈneɪʃən $ -ɜːr-/ noun [countableC, uncountableU]

the extermination of the indigenous peoples

土著民族的滅絕

Examples from the Corpus

exterminate• Let them kill, skin and sell until the buffalo are exterminated.• The logic of Fly was simple: there is a fly on the screen that is bothersome and should be exterminated.• The Khmer Rouge exterminated as many as two million Cambodiansa quarter of the population.• There was an attempt to exterminate ethnic groups in the north of the country.• By exterminating farm animals, the option of small organic farms is eroded.• Each new form will tend to take the place of, and finally to exterminate, its own less improved parent.• Ranchers systematically exterminated prairie dogs on their land.• Boves's mestizos aimed to exterminate the creoles and to destroy their property.• This elegant insect is a formidable greenfly guzzler and its larvae are particularly good at exterminating these ubiquitous pests.

Origin exterminate

(1500-1600) Latin past participle of exterminare “to drive out”, from terminus “edge”

ex·ter·mi·nate verb

Syllable

Corpus