OBLITERATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does obliteration mean? 

• OBLITERATION (noun)
  The noun OBLITERATION has 2 senses:

1. destruction by annihilating something

2. the complete destruction of every trace of something

  Familiarity information: OBLITERATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBLITERATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Destruction by annihilating something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

annihilation; obliteration

Hypernyms ("obliteration" is a kind of...):

destruction; devastation (the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "obliteration"):

atomisation; atomization (annihilation by reducing something to atoms)

pulverisation; pulverization (annihilation by pulverizing something)

vaporisation; vaporization (annihilation by vaporizing something)

Derivation:

obliterate (remove completely from recognition or memory)

obliterate (do away with completely, without leaving a trace)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The complete destruction of every trace of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

eradication; obliteration

Hypernyms ("obliteration" is a kind of...):

demolition; destruction; wipeout (an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something)

Derivation:

obliterate (remove completely from recognition or memory)

obliterate (do away with completely, without leaving a trace)

obliterate (mark for deletion, rub off, or erase)

 Context examples 

It usually results in the obliteration of the appendiceal lumen.

(Appendix Neuroma, NCI Thesaurus)