English
Etymology
From Latin Decimatio, a punishment where every 10th man in a unit would be stoned to death by the men who were spared. Used by the Romans to keep order in their military.
Pronunciation
Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-eɪ��n|-eɪ��n
Noun
decimation
#A tithing.
#A selection of every tenth person by lot, as for punishment.
#* RQ:Shakespeare Timon, V-v - By decimation and a tithed death, / ... take thou the destin'd tenth.
#* 1702: w:Cotton Mather|Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana - And the whole army had cause to enquire into their own rebellions, when they saw the Lord of Hosts, with a dreadful decimation, taking off so many of our brethren by the worst of executioners.
References
R:Century 1914
wikipedia
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