decimate
dec‧i‧mate /ˈdesəmeɪt, ˈdesɪmeɪt/
verb [transitive]
The population has been decimated by disease.
—decimation /ˌdesəˈmeɪʃən, ˌdesɪˈmeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]
dec‧i‧mate /ˈdesəmeɪt, ˈdesɪmeɪt/
verb [transitive] Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: decimatus, past participle of decimare 'to remove one tenth, kill one in ten', from decem 'ten'
to destroy a large part of something:Language: Latin
Origin: decimatus, past participle of decimare 'to remove one tenth, kill one in ten', from decem 'ten'
—decimation /ˌdesəˈmeɪʃən, ˌdesɪˈmeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable]