extirpate
11/20/22 • 2 min
3 Listeners
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 20, 2022 is:
extirpate \EK-ster-payt\ verb
Extirpate means “to destroy completely,” and is often—though not exclusively—used in reference to plant and animal populations. It can also be used to mean “to pull up by the root” and “to cut out by surgery.”
// Despite the years-long effort to extirpate it from the landscape, purple loosestrife continues to thrive in the town’s wetlands.
// The district attorney is vowing to extirpate political corruption from City Hall if she is elected mayor.
Examples:
“Peregrine falcons were once extirpated from Missouri due to pesticide damage to eggs and habitat loss. They have been on the state’s endangered species list but are being considered for removal, thanks to a cooperative program by Midwestern state and federal wildlife agencies. Re-introductions and nest boxes placed high on tall buildings in cities or power plant smokestacks have boosted their numbers.” — Brian Dulle, Fox4kc.com, 8 July 2021
Did you know?
You don’t have to dig too deep into the history of extirpate to discover that its roots are in, well, roots (and stumps). Extirpate grew out of a combining of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning “out,” and the Latin noun stirps, “trunk” or “root.” Among the earliest definitions of extirpate in English were “to uproot” and “to clear of stumps,” as well as the broader meaning of “to destroy completely” or “wipe out.” While today we often encounter extirpate in relation to plant and animal species that have been regrettably removed from a specific region or in total, intangibles such as evil or prejudice, for example, may also be extirpated. We hope this helps but if you find yourself stumped the next time you encounter extirpate, just remember we’re rooting for you.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 20, 2022 is:
extirpate \EK-ster-payt\ verb
Extirpate means “to destroy completely,” and is often—though not exclusively—used in reference to plant and animal populations. It can also be used to mean “to pull up by the root” and “to cut out by surgery.”
// Despite the years-long effort to extirpate it from the landscape, purple loosestrife continues to thrive in the town’s wetlands.
// The district attorney is vowing to extirpate political corruption from City Hall if she is elected mayor.
Examples:
“Peregrine falcons were once extirpated from Missouri due to pesticide damage to eggs and habitat loss. They have been on the state’s endangered species list but are being considered for removal, thanks to a cooperative program by Midwestern state and federal wildlife agencies. Re-introductions and nest boxes placed high on tall buildings in cities or power plant smokestacks have boosted their numbers.” — Brian Dulle, Fox4kc.com, 8 July 2021
Did you know?
You don’t have to dig too deep into the history of extirpate to discover that its roots are in, well, roots (and stumps). Extirpate grew out of a combining of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning “out,” and the Latin noun stirps, “trunk” or “root.” Among the earliest definitions of extirpate in English were “to uproot” and “to clear of stumps,” as well as the broader meaning of “to destroy completely” or “wipe out.” While today we often encounter extirpate in relation to plant and animal species that have been regrettably removed from a specific region or in total, intangibles such as evil or prejudice, for example, may also be extirpated. We hope this helps but if you find yourself stumped the next time you encounter extirpate, just remember we’re rooting for you.
Previous Episode
pell-mell
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 19, 2022 is:
pell-mell \pel-MEL\ adverb
Pell-mell means “in a confused and hurried way” or “in mingled confusion or disorder.”
// On Black Friday, some shoppers rush pell-mell into stores to find their favorite items at a discounted price.
Examples:
“But, before we head pell-mell down this road to ‘greening’ the nation’s transportation fleet, we have to ask the question, ‘What about car and truck safety?’ Isn’t this push toward electric vehicles also an opportunity to make our roads safer as well?” — The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin), 11 Sept. 2022
Did you know?
The word pell-mell was probably formed through a process called reduplication. This process—which involves the repetition of a word or part of a word, with often a slight change in its form—also generated the terms flip-flop, chitchat, and shilly-shally, the last of which comes from a single-word compression of the question “Shall I?” For pell-mell, the process is believed to have occurred long ago: our word traces to a Middle French word of the same meaning, pelemele, which comes from the Old French word pesle mesle, likely a product of reduplication from the Old French word mesle, a form of mesler, meaning “to mix” or “to mingle.”
Next Episode
temerity
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 21, 2022 is:
temerity \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\ noun
Temerity is a formal word that means "unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition"; it is a synonym of both rashness and recklessness. Temerity can also refer to a rash or reckless act.
// The line between boldness and temerity is sometimes only evident after the consequences have become clear.
// The previous night's temerity had landed the students in detention.
Examples:
"As Jackson sauntered during the ensuing break in play, his chin up defiantly and jaw clenched, James did a double-take at the apparent temerity, his next-play focus transforming into disapproval." — Houston Mitchell, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2022
Did you know?
When you’re feeling saucy, there’s no shortage of words in the English language you can use to describe the particular flavor of your metaphorical sauce, from audacity and effrontery to the Yiddish-derived fan favorite chutzpah. If we may be so bold, let us also suggest temerity: it comes from the Latin temere, meaning “recklessly” or “haphazardly,” and is good for suggesting boldness even in the face of danger or likely punishment. Temerity is a formal word, rarely used in casual writing or conversation, but provided you have the cheek to flout this convention, you may be thinking “what have I got to lose?”
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/merriam-websters-word-of-the-day-41390/extirpate-25015548"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to extirpate on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy