ANNIHILATE


Meaning of ANNIHILATE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt ]

verb

( -lat·ed ; -lat·ing )

Etymology: Late Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare to reduce to nothing, from Latin ad- + nihil nothing — more at nil

Date: 1525

transitive verb

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 ; especially : kill

4.

a. : to destroy a considerable part of

bombs annihilated the city

: to vanquish completely : rout

annihilated the visitors 56-0

5. : to cause (a particle and its antiparticle) to vanish by annihilating

intransitive verb

of a particle and its antiparticle : to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (as photons)

• an·ni·hi·la·tion -ˌnī-ə-ˈlā-shən noun

• an·ni·hi·la·tor -ˌlā-tər noun

• an·ni·hi·la·to·ry -ˈnī-ə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē adjective

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.