Exterminated

/ɪkˈstɜːmɪneɪtɪd/ verb (past tense)

Definition

Completely destroyed or killed off all members of a group, species, or population.

Etymology

From Latin 'exterminatus,' past participle of 'exterminare,' combining 'ex-' (out) and 'terminus' (boundary or end). Originally meant 'to drive out,' but evolved to mean 'completely destroy or wipe out.'

Kelly Says

The passenger pigeon was exterminated in the early 1900s—billions of birds hunted to extinction in just decades, one of history's most tragic environmental warnings.

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