decimate Definition
deci·mate (des′ə māt′)
transitive verb -·mat′ed, -·mat′·ing
- Obsolete to select by lot and kill every tenth one of
- to destroy or kill a large part of famine decimated the population
- Obsolete to take a tenth part of; tithe
Etymology: < L decimatus, pp. of decimare < decem, ten
decimate Related Forms
dec′i·ma′·tion noun
dec′i·ma′·tor noun
decimate Usage Examples
Object
- squad: A decimated squad has meet up ahead of the friendly against the Czech Republic.
- population: In 1724 smallpox decimated the population which, at the end of the century, was 180.
- army: Intense air attacks fixed and decimated the Iraqi army.
- crop: A single disease or pest could easily decimate the crop of an entire country.
- stock: This massive increase in commercial fishing has decimated many wild fish stocks.
- economy: Such a shift would help revitalize rural economies decimated by the global economy.
Subject
- injury: Manager Brian Flynn's side is decimated by injuries.
- disease: Features Return of the Clostridial Diseases by Chris Lewis MRCVS The early part of the last century saw flocks decimated by clostridial disease.
- war: But Aceh is a region already decimated by a war which has raged on and off for 28 years.
Adjective complement
most: Commercial whaling during the last century decimated most of the world's whale populations.
Modifying Another Word
- already: The German contingent, already decimated by the Turks, merged with the French, who had fared only slightly better, at Acre.
- so: Above all else tho, this was a real triumph in adversity, with the squad so decimated by injury.
- also: IX Hispana was also decimated and nearly cost the life of the legate Petillius Cerialis.
- not: The species assemblages of the Lickey heaths where not decimated by tree planting are a unique resource.
- almost: Together with cuts that almost decimates the entire plot, the show will probably leave fans with less than great memories.
- only: The death of Home Rule not only decimated his British audience, it also freed Irish protestantism from the restraints of political cohesion.
Present participle complement
spawn: Bishop td remnants of a a detailed account have decimated spawning.
Preposition: by
- injury: Manager Brian Flynn's side is decimated by injuries.
- disease: Features Return of the Clostridial Diseases by Chris Lewis MRCVS The early part of the last century saw flocks decimated by clostridial disease.
- war: But Aceh is a region already decimated by a war which has raged on and off for 28 years.
Browse dictionary entries near decimate
- ‹ decimally
- ‹ decimalize
- ‹ decimalization
- ‹ decimal trading
- ‹ decimal system
- ‹ decimal notation
- ‹ decimal classification
- ‹ decimal
- ‹ decillion
- ‹ deciliter
- decimeter ›
- decipher ›
- decision ›
- decisive ›
- deck ›
- deck chair ›
- deck tennis ›
- Decker ›
- -decker ›
- deckhand ›

