- (UK) IPA(key): /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/, /ɪkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/, /ɛkˈstɝ.mɪ.neɪt/
Audio (US) (file)
- (transitive) To kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.
- We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
- (figuratively, transitive) To bring a definite end to, finish completely. A rather strong word that implies that what has been ended won't resurface.
- Even a mass birching at the public school failed to exterminate truancy.
- (to kill all): annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot
- (to bring an end to): stamp out
- See also Thesaurus:destroy
to kill all of a population
to bring a definite end to, finish completely
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked