decimation

Meanings

Noun

destroying or killing a large part of the population (literally every tenth person as chosen by lot)
The killing or punishment of every tenth person, usually by lot.
The killing or destruction of any large portion of a population.
A tithe or the act of tithing.
The creation of a new sequence comprising only every nth element of a source sequence.
The creation of a new sequence comprising only every nth element of a source sequence.
A digital signal-processing technique for reducing the number of samples in a discrete-time signal; downsampling

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin decimātiō, 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. Compare septimation and vicesimation.

Synonyms

tithing

Scrabble Score: 15

decimation is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
decimation is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
decimation is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

decimation is a valid Words With Friends word