extermination
/ɪkˌstɜːmɪˈneɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˌstɜːrmɪˈneɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)ekˌ-/ (ame, mw)
extermination — noun
1. the deliberate killing of every animal, insect, or person belonging to a particu
the deliberate killing of every animal, insect, or person belonging to a particular group or living in a particular area, so that none survive.
Diego hired a pest-control company for the extermination of cockroaches in his restaurant kitchen.
collocation: extermination of [pest species]
The new law bans the extermination of rare birds on the small islands off the coast.
extermination of + protected species, with location
Historians at the museum showed how the war led to the extermination of an entire village.
Farmers near the river demanded the extermination of the rats that were destroying their grain.
Without proper rules, the extermination of wild wolves continued for many years across the country.
- eradication
very close in meaning; often used for diseases or pests
- annihilation
stronger, more dramatic; suggests total destruction, often of armies or peoples
- wiping out
informal alternative; works in spoken English
- preservation
actively keeping a group safe and alive
- protection
shielding a group from harm
文法句型
extermination of + noun
用法筆記
Object is usually an animal/insect group treated as a pest, or, in historical or wartime contexts, a group of people. The word is heavier than 'killing' and implies a planned, total effort — not a single act.