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A.Word.A.Day--extirpate

Pronunciation Sound Clip RealAudio

This week's theme: verbs.

extirpate (EK-stuhr-payt) verb tr.

1. To destroy completely.

2. To pull up by the roots.

[From Latin extirpare (to root out), from stirps (stem, root).]

See more usage examples of extirpate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"Shut up, shut up, shut up. Disloyal thoughts must be ruthlessly extirpated." Gene Kerrigan; Screw Democracy, Here's Dear Leader; Irish Independent (Dublin, Ireland); Apr 13, 2008.

X-Bonus

How can one better magnify the Almighty than by sniggering with him at his little jokes, particularly the poorer ones. -Samuel Beckett, author (1906-1989)

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