decimate UK /ˈdɛsɪmeɪt/US /ˈdɛsəmeɪt/verb 8noun 3forms 3 verb8 •To devastate: to reduce or destroy significantly but not completely.[England] had decimated itself for a question which involved no principle, and led to no result. — 1856 •To destroy or remove one-tenth of (something). •(nonstandard) To reduce to one-tenth: to destroy or remove nine-tenths of (something).In this dramatic picture, the nation is literally decimated, and even the tenth which remains is subjected to a further destruction. — 1998 •To replace (a high-resolution model) with another of lower but acceptable quality. (Usually algorithmically)A decimate tool allows us to obtain a more coarse-grained view of the data over the full n-dimensional space. — 1999 •(no longer used) To kill one-tenth of (a group), (historical, specifically) as a military punishment in the Roman army selected by lot, usually carried out by the surviving soldiers.God sometimes decimates or tithes delinquent persons, and they died for a common crime, according as God hath cast their lot in the decrees of predestination. — 1650 •(no longer used) To exact a tithe or other 10% tax. •(no longer used) To divide into tenths; to decimalize. •(no longer used, rare) To tithe: to pay a 10% tax. noun3 •(no longer used) A tithe or other 10% tax or payment. •(no longer used) a tenth of something, especially a tenth that is collected or paid as a tax •(no longer used) A set of ten items. formsdecimated · decimating · decimates
