1540s, "drive away," from Latin exterminatus, past participle of exterminare "drive out, expel, put aside, drive beyond boundaries," also, in Late Latin "destroy," from phrase ex termine "beyond the boundary," from ex- "out of" (see ex-) + termine, ablative of termen "boundary, limit, end" (see terminus).
Meaning "destroy utterly" is from 1640s in English, a sense found in equivalent words in French and in the Vulgate; earlier in this sense was extermine (mid-15c.). Related: Exterminated; exterminating.
实用例句
1. A huge effort was made to exterminate the rats.
灭鼠花了大力气。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Some people exterminate garden insects by spraying poison on the plants.
有些人在植物上喷撒毒剂以杀死花园内的昆虫.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. It is necessary to exterminate the post at the sawmill.
