to decimate
01
大量杀死, 毁灭
to kill large groups of people
Transitive: to decimate a group of people
例子
The deadly virus threatened to decimate the population if not controlled.
如果不加以控制，这种致命病毒将威胁到消灭人口。
The invading army aimed to decimate the opposing forces during the battle.
入侵军队旨在在战斗中歼灭对方部队。
02
十抽一杀, 每十名士兵中处死一名
(in a Roman legion) to kill one in every ten soldier
Transitive: to decimate a group of soldiers
例子
The general decided to decimate the rebellious soldiers as a harsh punishment.
将军决定十分之一处决叛乱的士兵作为严厉的惩罚。
In ancient times, the Roman legions would decimate their own ranks to maintain discipline.
在古代，罗马军团会十一抽杀自己的队伍以维持纪律。
词汇树
decimation
decimate
decimal
