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Decimate:
- Inflict so much damage as to destroy a large portion to the extent of being nearly completely destroyed
- To kill one person out of every ten persons, especially in the case of mutinous soldiers
Pronounced as Dess (Less having D instead of the L) + a + Mate
It is derived from the Latin root – Decimus meaning “Tenth“.
Do you realize, Decimus is also the root of Decimal? The counting system with digits from 0 to 9. 
Situational Uses:
- Hurricane Katrina decimated the homes, houses and buildings that lay in its path.
- The wrestler decimated his opponent to such an extent that the poor guy couldn’t even lift his arm.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
As an effect of the global crisis, my employer has plans to decimate the employee strength drastically in the near future.
Ohh, is that written seriously? We pray that the economic crisis is decimated as soon as possible.
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