extermine

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See also: exterminé

English

Etymology

From French exterminer, from Latin extermino.

Verb

extermine (third-person singular simple present extermines, present participle extermining, simple past and past participle extermined)

  1. (transitive, obsolete or nonstandard) To exterminate (someone or something); to destroy.
    • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
      VVherever ſorrovv is, relief vvould be. / If you do ſorrovv at my grief in love, / By giving love your ſorrovv and my grief / VVere both extermined.
    • 1874, Charles Kingsley, “Superstition. A Lecture Delivered at the Royal Institution, London.”, in Health and Education, London: W. Isbister & Co. , →OCLC, page 234:
      Without the instinct of self-preservation, which causes the sea-anemone to contract its tentacles, or the fish to dash into its hover, species would be extermined wholesale by involuntary suicide.

References

French

Pronunciation

Verb

extermine

  1. inflection of exterminer:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Portuguese

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ex‧ter‧mi‧ne

Verb

extermine

  1. inflection of exterminar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /eɡsteɾˈmine/
  • Rhymes: -ine
  • Syllabification: ex‧ter‧mi‧ne

Verb

extermine

  1. inflection of exterminar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative