The complete destruction or elimination of something, especially living beings. The act of killing off entirely or destroying utterly.
From Latin exterminare, meaning 'to drive beyond boundaries.' Composed of ex- (out) and terminus (boundary). Originally meant banishing beyond borders, but evolved to mean complete destruction when banishment wasn't enough.
The 'termin-' root connects to 'terminal' and 'terminate' - all about endings and boundaries. Extermination pushes something beyond the boundary of existence entirely! Think of the Terminator movies for the ultimate elimination.
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