Eradicate
/ɪˈræd.ɪ.keɪt/noun
To remove or destroy completely.
Did you know?Eradicate comes from Latin *eradicare*, literally “to root out,” from *e-* (“out”) + *radix* (“root”) — the same root behind *radish* and *radical*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wrād- / *wrədh-
“root; branch; support”
Latin
Latin
radix
“root”
Latin
Latin
eradicare
“to root out, pull up by the roots”
Old French
Old French
eradiquer
“to eradicate, uproot”
Late Middle English
English
eradicate
“to root out completely; remove utterly”
Modern English
English
eradicate
“to eliminate or destroy completely”