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Delete vs Exterminate - What's the difference?

delete | exterminate |

As a noun delete

is a key that may be pressed to delete something (including text or files) from a computer.

As a verb exterminate is

to kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.

delete

English

(Deletion)

Noun

(-)
    • I lost the file when I accidentally hit delete .
  • A remainder of a music or video release.

    • Verb

    (delet)
  • To remove, get rid of or erase, especially written or printed material, or data on a computer.
  • (computer) To hide, conceal

    • Synonyms

    * (to get rid of) erase, strike, terminate, cease existence, remove, rub out, strike out, obliterate, cancel, cross out, score, scrub, scrap, scratch, expunge, eliminate, blue-pencil, exclude, squelch

    Antonyms

    * (to get rid of) insert, maintain

    Related terms

    * deleterious * deletion * delible

    exterminate

    English

    Verb

    (exterminat)
  • To kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.
    • We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
  • (figuratively) To bring a definite end to, finish completely. A rather strong word that implies that what has been ended won't resurface.
    • Even a mass birching at the public school failed to exterminate truancy.

    Synonyms

    * (to kill all) annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot * (to bring an end to) stamp out * See also

    Derived terms

    * extermination * exterminative * exterminator * exterminatory

    Related terms

    * terminate * termination * terminator