destruct
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destruct — (v.) to destroy, 1958, probably a back formation from DESTRUCTION (Cf. destruction) in the jargon of U.S. aerospace and defense workers to refer to deliberate destruction of a missile in flight by a friendly agent; popularized 1966 in form self… … Etymology dictionary
destruct — 1. This is a back formation from destruction, formed as a specific alternative to destroy to denote a calculated action, originally with reference to malfunctioning space missiles, then in other military or related contexts, and later in… … Modern English usage
Destruct — De*struct , v. t. [L. destructus, p. p. of destruere. See {Destroy}.] To destroy. [Obs.] Mede. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
destruct — index destroy (efface) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
destruct — ► VERB ▪ cause the destruction of. DERIVATIVES destructor noun … English terms dictionary
destruct — ☆ destruct [di strukt′, dē′strukt΄ ] n. [back form. < DESTRUCTION] the deliberate destruction of a malfunctioning missile, rocket, etc. after its launch vi. to be automatically destroyed vt. to destroy (a rocket, etc.) deliberately by remote… … English World dictionary
destruct — /di strukt /, adj. 1. serving or designed to destroy: a destruct mechanism on a missile. n. 2. the act or process of intentional destruction: One out of ten launchings ended in destructs. v.t. 3. to destroy. v.i. 4. to be destroyed. [1630 40;… … Universalium
destruct — de•struct [[t]dɪˈstrʌkt[/t]] 1) the act or process of intentional destruction, as of a rocket or missile 2) to destroy 3) cvb to self destruct • Etymology: 1955–60; back formation from destruction de•struc′tor, n … From formal English to slang
destruct — (Roget s Thesaurus II) verb Aerospace. To pull down or break up so that reconstruction is impossible: demolish, destroy, dismantle, dynamite, knock down, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, tear down, wreck. See HELP … English dictionary for students
destruct — de·struct || dɪ strÊŒkt n. destruction; intentional destruction through the explosion of missiles or rockets v. destroy, annihilate, ruin adj. serving to destroy or ruin … English contemporary dictionary
