Main Entry: an·ni·hi·late

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): an·ni·hi·lat·ed; an·ni·hi·lat·ing

Etymology: Late Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare to reduce to nothing, from Latin ad- + nihil nothing — more at nil

Date: 1525

transitive verb 1 a : to cause to be of no effect : nullify b : to destroy the substance or force of
2 : to regard as of no consequence
3 : to cause to cease to exist; especially : kill
4 a : to destroy a considerable part of <bombs annihilated the city> b : to vanquish completely : rout <annihilated the visitors 56–0>
5 : to cause (a particle and its antiparticle) to vanish by annihilatingintransitive verb of a particle and its antiparticle : to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (as photons)

— an·ni·hi·la·tion \-ˌnī-ə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

— an·ni·hi·la·tor \-ˌlā-tər\ noun

— an·ni·hi·la·to·ry \-ˈnī-ə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective