v. Also 6–7 pa. pple. exterminate. [f. L. extermināt- ppl. stem of extermināre to drive beyond the boundaries, f. ex- out + terminus boundary-line. Cf. F. exterminer.
Only sense 1 is found in class. Lat.; the developed sense 2 appears in the Vulgate, and in Fr.]
† 1. trans. To drive, force (a person or thing) from, of, out of the boundaries or limits of (a place, region, community, state, etc.); to drive away, banish, put to flight. Also with double obj. by omission of from. Obs.
1541. Elyot, Image Gov. (1549), 146. Oppression, extorcion … were out of the citee of Rome … vtterly exterminate.
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, III. 621. It hes … mony of life extirminate.
1597. Bacon, Couler’s Good & Evil, vii. (Arb.), 148. Most thinges do … chase and exterminate their contraries.
1653. Baxter, Meth. Peace Consc., 50. Do not those men deserve to be exterminated the Churches.
a. 1677. Barrow, Pope’s Suprem., Wks. 1741, I. 609. They deposed, exterminated, and deprived him of communion.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., II. iv. 165. Their [the Britons’] Language was wholly exterminated from hence with them.
1692. Bentley, Serm., 6 June, 27. A discovery … which alone is sufficient to … exterminate rank Atheism out of the World.
2. To destroy utterly, put an end to (persons or animals); now only, to root out, extirpate (species, races, populations, sects, hence opinions, etc.).
1649. Alcoran, 65. Who can hinder God to exterminate the Messiah, and his Mother, with whatsoever is in the Earth, when it shall seeme good to him?
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxiv. 128. A People comming into possession of a Land by warre, do not alwayes exterminate the antient Inhabitants.
1705. Arbuthnot, Coins (1727), 229. Alexander had left Grecian Governors and Colonies in the Indies; but they were almost exterminated by Sandro-cottus.
1788. Priestley, Lect. Hist., V. xl. 290. Clovis … exterminated all his family, lest any of them should be chosen king.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. i. 5. The Holy League … was to exterminate heresy.
1868. Peard, Water-farm., xvi. 164. In the dawn of domestic agriculture, beasts of prey … were exterminated.
† 3. To get rid of (a thing); to abolish, put an end to, destroy. Obs.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vii. (1641), 63/1. Th’ one [Sabbath] but a Day endures; th’ others Date Eternity shall not Exterminate.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 158. Exterminating or out-lawing their own Face, to put on another.
1691. Ray, Creation (1714), 38. Who endeavour to … evacuate and exterminate this Argument.
1794. Godwin, Cal. Williams, 92. A remorse that stung his conscience and exterminated his peace.
† b. Math. To get rid of (an unknown quantity, etc.); = ELIMINATE. Obs.
1743. W. Emerson, Fluxions, II. iii. 139. By help of the Equation of the Curve, exterminate ẋ or ẏ out of the Quantity yẋ/ẏ.
1756. Saunderson, Meth. Fluxions, 159. To exterminate the impossible Quantity in the Denominator.
1827. Hutton, Course Math., I. 246. By adding or subtracting them [equations] … one of the letters may be exterminated.
Hence Exterminated ppl. a. Exterminating vbl. sb. Exterminating ppl. a.
1694. trans. Milton’s Lett. State, 19 May, an. 1655. We believe it to be the general Interest of us all … to relieve our exterminated and indigent Brethren.
1813. Q. Rev., IX. 341. The exterminated nations … deserved the vengeance of a moral governor by their idolatry and depravity.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 274. The exterminating of Idolattry out of the Empire.
1667. Decay Chr. Piety, vi. 120. Unlucky vices, on whom the exterminating lot hapned to fall.
1796. Coleridge, Ode Departing Year. The exterminating fiend is fled.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. ii. 33. The last exterminating conquest waged … against the Britons.
