obliterate
/əbˈlɪtəˌeɪt/uh-BLIH-tur-ayt
/əbˈlɪtɚˌeɪt/uh-BLIH-tur-ayt
Meaningto strike out letters
Common meaning: to wipe out completely
- obtowards, against, in the way
- literan alphabet character; (plural) writingLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1071 · scan
- ateverb or adjective ending: to make, having
‘towards, against, in the way’ + ‘an alphabet character’ → obliterate
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin littera ‘an alphabet character; (plural) writing’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry littera, p. 1071 · dictionary scan
Roots
- littera Latin “an alphabet character; (plural) writing”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app