extirper
to uproot
verb ex-teer-PEH Rare
Origin: Latin extirpare (to pull up by the roots)
Also means
to eradicate
Usage Note
Extirper literally means to pull something out by the roots, but is used figuratively for eliminating something deep-seated, such as a bad habit or prejudice; extirper le mal à la racine is a common idiom. It can also describe physically removing something embedded, like a splinter.
Examples
"Il faut extirper ce préjugé de notre société."
Natural Translation
We must eradicate this prejudice from our society.
Literal Translation
it is-necessary to-uproot this prejudice from our society
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