Word of the Day : May 7, 2018

decimate \DESS-uh-mayt\ verb

Definition

1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of

2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from

3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number

b : to cause great destruction or harm to

Did You Know?

The connection between decimate and the number ten harks back to a brutal practice of the army of ancient Rome. A unit that was guilty of a severe crime (such as mutiny) was punished by the selection and execution of one-tenth of its soldiers, thereby scaring the remaining nine-tenths into obedience. It's no surprise that the word for this practice came from Latin decem, meaning "ten." From this root we also get our words decimal and decade, as well as December, so named because it was originally the tenth month of the calendar before the addition of January and February. In its extended uses, decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or damaging a great quantity or large part of something.

Build your vocabulary! Get Word of the Day in your inbox every day.

Test Your Vocabulary



  Name that Thing: Flower Edition








    Name that flower




                                  forsythia
                                  rhododendron
                                  goldenrod
                                  wisteria








    Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
    TAKE THE QUIZ






    Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
    TAKE THE QUIZ

Aired May 7, 2018

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com