[an.ni.hi.late] vb -lat.ed ; -lat.ing [LL annihilatus, pp. of annihilare to reduce to nothing, fr. L ad- + nihil nothing--more at nil] vt (1525) 1 a: to cause to be of no effect: nullify b: to destroy the substance or force of
2: to regard as of no consequence
3: to cause to cease to exist; esp: kill
4. a: to destroy a considerable part of "bombs annihilated the city" b: to vanquish completely: rout "annihilated the visitors 56-0" ~ vi, of a particle and its antiparticle: to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (as radiation or particles) -- an.ni.hi.la.tion n -- an.ni.hi.la.tor n -- an.ni.hi.la.to.ry adj