Exterminator

/ɪkˈstɜːrmɪˌneɪtər/ noun

Definition

A person whose job is to kill or eliminate pests like insects and rodents from buildings.

Etymology

From Latin 'exterminare' meaning 'to drive out' or 'to destroy,' from 'ex-' (out) and 'terminare' (to set boundaries). Originally meant driving enemies out of territory; now means eliminating unwanted pests.

Kelly Says

The word 'exterminator' originally meant 'one who drives out enemies from bordered land'—a military term that got repurposed for pest control! The same root 'terminus' gives us 'terminal' and 'terminate.'

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