decimate etymology

Etymology:

• Derived from the Latin verb "decimāre," meaning "to take a tenth part."

Meaning:

• To kill, destroy, or eliminate a large number or percentage of something.

Origin:

The term originated in ancient Rome, where one-tenth of a defeated army was killed as a punishment for mutiny or cowardice. This practice, known as "decimation," ensured that the remaining troops would be more loyal and disciplined.

Historical Usage:

• In the Roman Empire, decimation was used as a severe form of punishment for military offenses.
• In the 17th century, the term was extended to mean the destruction of a large number of people, particularly in warfare.
• During World War II, the Nazis used decimation as a strategy of terror against civilians and rebel groups.

Modern Usage:

• In modern times, "decimate" typically refers to the killing or destruction of a large portion of a population, ecosystem, or resource.
• It is often used in a metaphorical sense to describe the devastating impact of events such as natural disasters, wars, or economic downturns.

decimate relate terms

• cent

  Etymology The word cent is derived from the Latin word centum meaning hundred Me

• centenarian

  Etymology Centenarian is derived from the Latin words centum hundred and annus

• centenary

  Etymology From Latin centēnārius meaning pertaining to a hundred From centēni

• centi

  Etymology The word centi comes from the Latin word centum meaning hundred It was

• centime

  Etymology From French centime from cent hundred Introduced into English in the 19th

• centurion

  Etymology Latin centurio Proto Indo European ḱm̥tós English centurion Meaning

• century

  Etymology The word century is derived from the Latin word centuria which refers to a

• centennial

  Etymology Latin centennialis French centenaire English centennial Meaning

• cinquecento

  Etymology From Italian cinquecento 500 from Late Latin quingenti 500 from qui

• dean

  Etymology Old English Deán Proto Germanic Dehans Proto Indo European Dheḱ Me

• deca

  Etymology The word deca comes from the Greek word deka meaning ten It is a prefix

• decade

  Etymology The word decade derives from the Latin word decem meaning ten In the ea

• decagon

  Etymology New Latin decagonum from Greek dekagonon from deka ten gonia angle

• Decalogue

  Etymology The word decalogue is derived from the Greek words deka δέκα meaning

• Decameron

  Etymology Greek deka ten hemera day Meaning Ten Days or Ten Day Stor

• decapod

  Etymology Derived from Greek deka ten pod foot Meaning An animal that

• December

  Etymology December derives from the Latin word decem meaning ten It was originally

• decennial

  Etymology Latin decennialis occurring every ten years New Latin decennalis Middle

• deci

  Etymology The word deci is derived from the Latin word decimus meaning tenth Mea

• decile

  Etymology French décile Latin decilis PIE root dek ten Meaning A deci

• decimal

  Etymology From Latin decimalis meaning of or relating to tenths Ultimately derived

• decimate

  Etymology Derived from the Latin verb decimāre meaning to take a tenth part Me

• decimation

  Etymology From Latin decimare to tithe from decimus tenth Meaning Origina

• decuple

  Etymology From Latin decuplus tenfold from decem ten plus more Meaning

• decussate

  Etymology Decussate comes from the Latin verb decussare meaning to cross in the for

• denarius

  Etymology The word denarius is derived from the Latin word deni meaning ten Mean

• dicker

  Etymology Middle Dutch dic thick Proto Germanic thikwaz thick Meaning Ad

• dime

  Etymology From the Latin phrase dime mediae notae meaning half of a nota Nota i

• dinar

  Etymology The word dinar is derived from the Late Latin word denarius which was a R

• doyen

  Etymology The word doyen is derived from the Old French word doiien which in turn co

• dozen

  Etymology The word dozen comes from the Old French word douzaine which in turn comes

• duodecimal

  Etymology Late Latin duodecimalis Latin duodēnī ālis from Latin duodēnī twe

• duodecimo

  Etymology The word duodecimo comes from the Latin phrase duodecimo loco which means

• eighteen

  Etymology Old English eahtatyne from eaht eight tiene ten Meaning A car

• fifteen

  Etymology Originating from Old English fiftiene inflected form of fif five and

• fourteen

  Etymology The word fourteen traces its roots back to Old English where it was written

• hecatomb

  Etymology of Hecatomb The word hecatomb is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἑ

• hendeca

  Etymology Latin hendeca Greek endeka Proto Indo European nekmt eleven Meanin

• hundred

  Etymology The word hundred comes from the Old English word hundrēd meaning group

• icosahedron

  Etymology The word icosahedron comes from the Greek words eikosi meaning twenty

• nineteen

  Etymology The word nineteen comes from the Old English phrase nigontyne which itself

• nonagenarian

  Etymology The word nonagenarian is derived from the Latin words nona nine and g

• octogenarian

  Etymology octo Latin eight geni Latin to produce arian Latin suffix pertaini

• Pentecost

  Etymology Greek πεντηκοστή pentēkostē meaning fiftieth day Meanin

• percent

  Etymology Origin Latin per centum meaning by the hundred Origin French pour c

• quattrocento

  Etymology Italian quattrocento Meaning The 15th century specifically in Italian

• Septuagint

  Etymology Latin Septuaginta Greek Ἑβδομήκοντα Hebdomēkonta Meaning a

• seventeen

  Etymology The name SEVENTEEN is a combination of two Korean words Se 세 mean

• sixteen

  Etymology The word sixteen comes from the Old English word sixtīene which is itself

• tenth

  Etymology Old English tēoða from Proto Germanic tehun dōn from Proto Indo European

• thirteen

  Etymology The word thirteen comes from the Old English word þrēotēne which is a c

• thousand

  Etymology The word thousand comes from the Old English word þūsend which is cogna

• tithe

  Etymology The word tithe comes from the Old English word teotha which in turn comes

• eliminate

  Word Etymology Meaning Origin Abate Middle English from O

• eradicate

  Etymology Latin exradicare ex out radix root literally to tear out by

• carry

  Etymology The word carry derives from the Old English word cerian meaning to turn

• concierge

  Etymology The word concierge comes from the French word conscierge which in turn is

• prose

  Etymology The word prose originates from the Latin word prosa which itself derives

• resilience

  Etymology Latin resilient springing back French résilient elastic springy

• primordial

  Etymology Primordial is derived from the Latin word primordium which means beginni

• reciprocal

  Etymology The word reciprocal is derived from the Latin word reciprocus which means