eradicate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to destroy or remove something completely, especially a disease, problem, or harmful practice

   The vaccination campaign aims to eradicate the disease worldwide.

2. 2
   verb

   literal or historical: to pull a plant up by its roots

   Workers tried to eradicate the invasive weed before it produced seeds.

From Latin eradicare, 'to root out,' formed from e- or ex-, 'out,' + radix, genitive radicis, 'root.' English first used the verb in its literal sense of pulling up by the roots, then extended it to the complete destruction of diseases, beliefs, practices, and other persistent things.

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