A Latin-based feminine form of exterminator; a female person or entity that exterminates.
From Latin exterminatrix, the feminine form of exterminators. The -trix suffix is the Latin feminine ending, as in 'dominatrix' (female dominator) or 'executrix' (female executor).
The word 'exterminatrix' sounds theatrical and dramatic—it has a James Bond villain quality, which is probably why it survives in literature and media even though 'exterminator' works for any gender today.
The Latin -trix suffix is a feminine agentive marker (exterminator + trix), used in English legal and formal contexts to explicitly gender female practitioners. The suffix perpetuates the convention that masculine forms are unmarked defaults.
Use gender-neutral 'exterminator' unless historical/legal precision requires the marked form. If used, apply consistently to agents of any gender.
["exterminator"]
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