Devaster

/dɪˈvæstər/ noun

Definition

A person or thing that devastates; one who lays waste or causes ruin.

Etymology

From Old French 'devaster' + -er (agent suffix), from Latin 'devastare.' This variant agent noun form is even rarer than 'devastator.'

Kelly Says

The existence of both 'devaster' and 'devastator' for the same concept shows how English borrowed words from multiple Romance languages and created competing forms—'devastator' won out, leaving 'devaster' as a linguistic relic!

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