Decimate - plus, trending lookups galore!

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [May 7, 2018](#none) decimate [Audio pronunciation]( verb | DESS-uh-mayt Definition 1 : to select by [lot]( and kill every tenth man of 2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from 3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number b : to cause great destruction or harm to Scroll down for more about decimate TRENDING NOW: [pansexual]( [symbiote]( [charlatan]( [lowlife]( [SEE ALL [>]]( PEOPLE ARE READING # ['Versus' vs. 'Verses']( # [7 Words Based on Units of Measure]( # ['Draft' vs. 'Draught']( # ['Punchable': A Story of Money, Sex, and Violence]( WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Name that Thing: Flower Edition]( Can you correctly identify these flowers? [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Did You Know? The connection between decimate and the number ten harks back to a brutal practice of the army of ancient Rome. A unit that was guilty of a severe crime (such as [mutiny]() was punished by the selection and execution of one-tenth of its soldiers, thereby scaring the remaining nine-tenths into obedience. It's no surprise that the word for this practice came from Latin decem, meaning "ten." From this root we also get our words [decimal]( and [decade](, as well as [December](, so named because it was originally the tenth month of the calendar before the addition of January and February. In its extended uses, decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or damaging a great quantity or large part of something. Examples of DECIMATE Budget cuts have decimated public services in many towns and cities throughout the state. "We must do everything we can to eliminate the diseases that have potential to decimate our population if we do not take action." — Kacie L. Pauls, The Kansas City (Missouri) Star, 22 Mar. 2018 Word Family Quiz Fill in the blanks to complete a verb derived from Latin decem ("ten") that means "to intersect or cross": d _ _ u _ s _ te. [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( MERCH Show Your Wordie Pride! New swag now available — featuring our newly added words welp and wordie [CHECK OUT OUR SELECTION [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](