Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To completely destroy, especially by crushing to fragments or a powder.
  • verb To defeat soundly, thrash.
  • verb intransitive To become reduced to powder; to fall to dust.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb destroy completely
  • verb become powder or dust
  • verb make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin pulvis.

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Examples

  • Brown would "pulverise" the Tories in an election "with a staggering 17 percent lead," says the paper, "IF he gives the people a vote on the EU Treaty".

    Archive 2007-09-01 Richard 2007

  • Brown would "pulverise" the Tories in an election "with a staggering 17 percent lead," says the paper, "IF he gives the people a vote on the EU Treaty".

    The Sun has got its hat on … Richard 2007

  • Russian death squads 'pulverise' Chechens [Russian commandos describe torture and war crimes]

    Latest Articles 2009

  • As well as being a cookery term, pulverise pops up in boxing reports and appears in rugby, athletics and economic contexts – so it can refer to people without implying their destruction.

    The atomic theory of sub-headings 2009

  • Many blog about it or write a short story to explore their turmoil/pulverise/terrorise or destroy their literary enemies or on a different tact destroy their work or simmer in a self pitying mess.

    Learn from your Rejection Letters « Write Anything 2010

  • These strange contraptions built into the sink pulverise food scraps into tiny particles, sending them down the pipes to sewage works.

    Can I throw out food and be green? Lucy Siegle 2010

  • We're going to pulverise you, he told an audience of medical students.

    Hugo Chávez calls opposition candidate a 'low-life pig' 2012

  • Without Hillary's support John McCain will pulverise him.

    Obama celebrates with Clinton backers 2008

  • And so, eight years after the invasion, despite what Western Generals keep promising, US and NATO bombs continue to pulverise this unhappy land.

    Trigger Happy in Kabul 2009

  • And as for the despotic regimes that surround you, neither do they illegally occupy their neighbours 'lands, nor do they regularly pulverise their neighbours' populations with weaponry gifted to them by extremely subjective US neocons whose invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan did little to promote a sense of balance in that sad country's international policy. phil

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009

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