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obliterate

 - 5 dictionary results

ob⋅lit⋅er⋅ate

  [uh-blit-uh-reyt]
Use obliterate in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.
1. to remove or destroy all traces of; do away with; destroy completely.
2. to blot out or render undecipherable (writing, marks, etc.); efface.
Origin:
1590–1600; < L oblitterātus (ptp. of oblitterāre, efface, cause to be forgotten), equiv. to ob- ob- + litter(a) letter + -ātus -ate 1

Related forms:
ob⋅lit⋅er⋅a⋅ble  [uh-blit-er-uh-buhl] , adjective
o⋅blit⋅er⋅a⋅tor, noun

Synonyms:
2. expunge. See cancel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To obliterate
o·blit·er·ate   (ə-blĭt'ə-rāt', ō-blĭt'-)   
tr.v.   o·blit·er·at·ed, o·blit·er·at·ing, o·blit·er·ates

  1. To do away with completely so as to leave no trace. See Synonyms at abolish.

  2. To wipe out, rub off, or erase (writing or other markings).

  3. Medicine To remove completely (a body organ or part), as by surgery, disease, or radiation.


[Latin oblitterāre, oblitterāt-, to erase, from ob litterās (scrībere), (to write) over letters (ob, over; see ob- + litterās, accusative pl. of littera, letter) and from oblītus, past participle of oblīvīscī, to forget; see oblivion.]
o·blit'er·a'tion n., o·blit'er·a'tive (-ə-rā'tĭv, -ər-ə-tĭv) adj., o·blit'er·a'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

obliterate 
1600, from L. obliteratus, pp. of obliterare "cause to disappear, efface," from ob "against" + litera "letter, script" (see letter), abstracted from phrase literas scribere "write across letters, strike out letters."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: oblit·er·ate
Pronunciation: &-'blit-&-"rAt, O-
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed;-at·ing
: to cause to disappear (as a bodily part or a scar) or collapse (as a duct conveying body fluid) obliterated by inflammation>obliterate the gallbladder by electrosurgical methods> —oblit·er·a·tion /-"blit-&-'rA-sh&n/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

obliterate o·blit·er·ate (ə-blĭt'ə-rāt', ō-blĭt'-)
v. o·blit·er·at·ed, o·blit·er·at·ing, o·blit·er·ates

  1. To remove an organ or another body part completely, as by surgery, disease, or radiation.

  2. To blot out, especially through filling of a natural space by fibrosis or inflammation.

o·blit'er·a'tion n.
o·blit'er·a'tive (-ə-rā'tĭv, -ər-ə-tĭv) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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