THE FIRST WORD

decimate

PRONUNCIATION:

(DES-i-mayt) 

MEANING:

verb tr.: To destroy a large part of something.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin decimare (to take the tenth), from decem (ten). Earliest documented use: around 1600. Also see hecatomb.

NOTES:

In the ancient Roman army a group of soldiers guilty of mutiny were punished by killing every tenth soldier. Today the word has evolved to mean large-scale damage where a major proportion is annihilated. Instead of 10%, today it's more like 90%.

USAGE:

"The World T20 showed now they have the batting firepower to decimate their opponents."
Shamik Chakrabarty; IPL's Gangnam Effect; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); Oct 14, 2012.