extirpate Hear it!

extirpate Definition

ex·tir·pate (eks′tər pāt′; also ek stʉr′-)

transitive verb -·pat′ed, -·pat′·ing

  1. to pull up by the roots; root out
  2. to destroy or remove completely; exterminate; abolish

Etymology: < L extirpatus, pp. of extirpare, exstirpare, to root out < ex-, out + stirps, lower part of a tree, root < IE base *ster-, stiff > stare, starve, stark

extirpate Related Forms
ex′·tir·pa′·tion noun ex′·tir·pa′·tive adjective ex′·tir·pa′·tor noun
extirpate Synonyms

extirpate

v.

exterminate, annihilate, abolish, root out; see destroy 1. See syn. study at exterminate.

extirpate Usage Examples

Object

  • heresy: It was not therefore his support for, or failure to extirpate, heresy that made Raimond Roger a target.
  • mammal: Hunted to extinction by the 16th century, it is now poised to become the first of our extirpated mammals to be reintroduced.
  • species: Recovery of extirpated species requires a multi-disciplinary effort involving many people and agencies to address the ecological, economic and political factors involved.

Modifying Another Word

  • already: Certainly not the animals, of which we have already extirpated many of the largest and most beautiful species.
  • now: Prior to the settlement by the Europeans the local fauna consisted of many species that are now extirpated or threatened.