Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Annihilate
An-ni′hi-late
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Annihilated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Annihilating
.] [L.
annihilare
; ad
+ nihilum
, nihil
, nothing, ne hilum
(filum
) not a thread, nothing at all. Cf. File
, a row.] 1.
To reduce to nothing or nonexistence; to destroy the existence of; to cause to cease to be.
It impossible for any body to be utterly
annihilated
. Bacon.
2.
To destroy the form or peculiar distinctive properties of, so that the specific thing no longer exists;
“To annihilate the army.” as, to
. annihilate
a forest by cutting down the treesMacaulay.
3.
To destroy or eradicate, as a property or attribute of a thing; to make of no effect; to destroy the force, etc., of;
as, to
. annihilate
an argument, law, rights, goodnessAn-ni′hi-late
(an-nī′hĭ-lā̍t)
, Adj.
Annihilated.
[Archaic]
Swift.
Webster 1828 Edition
Annihilate
ANNI'HILATE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To reduce to nothing; to destroy the existence of.No human power can annihilate matter.
2.
To destroy the form or peculiar distinctive properties, so that the specific thing no longer exists; as, to annihilate a forest by cutting and carrying away the trees, though the timber may still exist; to annihilate a house by demolishing the structure.