extirpate

American  

[ek-ster-peyt, ik-stur-peyt] / ˈɛk stərˌpeɪt, ɪkˈstɜr peɪt /

verb (used with object)

extirpated, extirpating

1. to remove or destroy totally; do away with; exterminate.

2. to pull up by or as if by the roots; root up.

   to extirpate an unwanted hair.

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extirpate British  

/ ˈɛkstəˌpeɪt /

verb

1. to remove or destroy completely

2. to pull up or out; uproot

3. to remove (an organ or part) surgically

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Other Word Forms

• extirpation noun
• extirpative adjective
• extirpator noun

Etymology

Origin of extirpate

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ex(s)tirpātus “plucked up by the stem” (past participle of ex(s)tirpāre ), equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + stirp- (stem of stirps ) “stem” + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

The verb extirpate originally meant "to weed out by the roots." Now you can use it more broadly to describe getting rid of something completely. Use the verb extirpate when you mean to destroy completely or get rid of completely. If you came home from vacation with your luggage infested by bedbugs, you will need to call an exterminator to extirpate them. The dodo bird was extirpated due to hunting and the introduction of predators in their habitat.

Example Sentences

"Feral American mink pose a particular risk to island biodiversity, especially to ground-nesting birds and small mammals which in certain circumstances they may have the potential to extirpate," Keen explained.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2022

Glasberg argues that “while it is imperative to be aware of ‘race’ to extirpate racism, it is unnecessary to continue to racialize groups victimized by racism.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 6, 2019

It was a poor return for American backing for the Baghdad government’s drive to extirpate Islamic State and regain lost territory.

From The Guardian • May 15, 2018

It's essentially a novelization of the War of Canudos conflict in 19th century Brazil, where the government of Brazil engaged in a prolonged effort to extirpate a communitarian religious community in the wilds of Bahia.

From New York Times • Feb. 20, 2018

To extirpate is to exterminate or destroy a living entity or group so completely that it ceases to exist forever.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz