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exterminar

to exterminate

verb ehks-tehr-mee-NAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin exterminare (to drive beyond the boundary).

Usage Note

Exterminar implies total destruction of a group — pests, populations, or enemies. It is a strong, often official or bureaucratic register word. The noun is exterminio; the agent noun is exterminador. Avoid using it casually; eliminar is the neutral alternative.

Examples

"El veneno exterminó la plaga de ratas."

Natural Translation

The poison exterminated the rat plague.

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