exterminate

 
Pronunciation: /ɪkˈstəːmɪneɪt, ɛk-/

verb

[with object]
  • destroy completely: leftist ideals had not been totally exterminated
  • kill (a pest): they use poison to exterminate moles

Derivatives

exterminator

noun

exterminatory

Pronunciation: /-nət(ə)ri/
adjective

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'drive out'): from Latin exterminat- 'driven out', from the verb exterminare, from ex- 'out' + terminus 'boundary'. The sense 'destroy' (mid 16th century) comes from the Latin of the Vulgate