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| it lost two-thirds of its readers The headline writer ought to look up the definition of decimate.
by wordsmeanthings 12y ago
| it lost two-thirds of its readers
The headline writer ought to look up the definition of decimate.
- TheLoneWolfling 12y ago> dec·i·mate > ˈdesəˌmāt/ > verb > verb: decimate; 3rd person present: decimates; past tense: decimated; past participle: > decimated; gerund or present participle: decimating > 1. > kill, destroy, or remove a large percentage or part of. ... Yes, the root of the word is "1 in 10". However, that is not the modern meaning of the word.
- coldtea 12y agoOr you need to look up the definition of "etymology". Etymology is not the same as the dictionary definition of a word. Nor is its historical use in the far past. People would be surprised for example to learn that the lemma for "literally" in the dictionary also contains this definition: "in effect": virtually (will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins) (From Merriam-Webster)
- rgbrenner 12y agoDo you know the meaning? Because both definitions are 400 years old and appeared around the same time: http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/09/does-decimate-mean-destroy-one-tenth/ http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/09/does-decimate-mea...
- umanwizard 12y agothis is the worst type of pedantry. Wrong or right, you're being obnoxious.
- user24 12y agoand brings nothing to the debate but distraction. Who cares if it was 1/10th or 6/10ths, the point remains the same. In fact if anything the headline understates the point by using decimate.