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decimation
[ des-uh-mey-shuhn ]
noun
- the destruction of a great number or proportion of people, animals, or things:
There is growing evidence that pesticide use is contributing significantly to the decimation of bee populations.
- the act or practice of killing one-tenth of a population, as a punishment, to cull wild animals, or for other purposes:
The Roman Empire used decimation, executing 1 in 10 people—ordinary citizens, slaves, or soldiers—to quell mutinies, riots, and other uprisings.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of decimation1
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Example Sentences
But the site has seen little of the decimation from heavy tourism that has plagued the northern pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
In Texas, the grave consequences of the decimation of state family-planning funds in 2011 are already evident.
The Shirt-tail battalion and the bluegrass battalion stood in peril of decimation in their maiden engagement.
The Texans in their escape and conflicts had lost five men, and Santa Anna demanded the decimation of the rest.
It is only because of the large families that they rear, that they are able to withstand this yearly decimation of their ranks.
We should not be surprised if at least one part of the mysterious decimation turned out to be an early act of beneficial hidation.
Sometimes the inroads of tigers cause the abandonment of an entire village, the natives preferring exile to gradual decimation.
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