extirpating
|ex-tir-pate-ing|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˈstɝːrpeɪt/
🇬🇧
/ɪkˈstɜːrpeɪt/
(extirpate)
root out completely
Etymology
'extirpate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'extirpare,' where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'stirps' (or 'stirp-') meant 'root' or 'stock'.
'extirpate' changed from Medieval Latin 'extirpare' (and related Medieval forms) into Middle English forms such as 'extirpen' and eventually became the modern English word 'extirpate'.
Initially, it meant 'to root out (by the roots)', but over time it evolved into the broader modern sense 'to remove or destroy completely'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'extirpate': performing or in the process of removing or destroying something completely (often used of plants, animals, diseases, or institutions).
Extirpating invasive species can help restore native ecosystems.
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Verb 2
used adjectivally (participial adjective): describing something that removes or destroys completely.
The extirpating measures taken by the agency reduced the pest population significantly.
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Last updated: 2025/12/15 20:09