obliterator
|ob-li-ter-a-tor|
🇺🇸
/əˈblɪtəreɪtər/
🇬🇧
/əˈblɪtəreɪtə/
one who or that which wipes out completely
Etymology
'obliterator' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'obliterare', where the prefix 'ob-' meant 'against/over' and 'littera' meant 'letter'.
'obliterator' changed from Medieval Latin 'obliterare' and passed through Old French 'obliterer' into Middle English as 'obliterate', from which the noun form 'obliterator' was later formed in modern English.
Initially it meant 'to blot out letters or cause to be forgotten', but over time it evolved into the current meaning of 'to destroy, erase, or remove completely'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
someone or something that obliterates; a person, force, or thing that destroys, erases, or removes completely.
The demolition crew acted as an obliterator of the old factory, leaving no trace behind.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a device or tool used to cancel or deface postage stamps (a canceller); a machine or stamp used to make a mark rendering a stamp invalid.
At the sorting office the worker used an obliterator to cancel each stamp before mailing.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/22 03:31