DECIMATION

decimation

(noun) destroying or killing a large part of the population (literally every tenth person as chosen by lot)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

decimation (plural decimations)

(strictly) The killing or punishment of every tenth person, usually by lot.

(generally) The killing or destruction of any large portion of a population.

A tithe or the act of tithing.

(mathematics) The creation of a new sequence comprising only every nth element of a source sequence.

(signal processing) A digital signal-processing technique for reducing the number of samples in a discrete-time signal; downsampling

Synonyms

• (the act of killing or punishing each tenth person): tithing

• (the payment of a tenth to the clergy): See tithe

Coordinate terms

• (proportionate reduction, by single aliquot part): quintation (1/5), septimation (1/7), decimation (1/10), vicesimation (1/20), tricesimation (1/30), centesimation (1/100)

Anagrams

• medication

Source: Wiktionary

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Dec`i*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. decimatio: cf. F. décimation.]

1. A tithing. [Obs.] State Trials (1630).

2. A selection of every tenth person by lot, as for punishment. Shak.

3. The destruction of any large proportion, as of people by pestilence or war. Milman.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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