destroyer
UK: dɪˈstrɔɪə | US: dɪˈstrɔɪər
n. 1. A person or thing that destroys or causes ruin.
n. 2. A fast, maneuverable warship equipped with weapons for attacking other ships, submarines, or aircraft.
destroyer = destroy<to ruin completely> + er<agent noun suffix>
- destroy: From Old French destruire, derived from Latin destruere ("to tear down, demolish"), combining de- (down) + struere (to build).
- -er: A suffix forming agent nouns (e.g., "teacher," "runner"), indicating a person or thing performing the action.
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin destruere, reflecting the idea of "un-building" or dismantling. The suffix -er was added in Middle English to denote an agent of destruction. By the late 19th century, "destroyer" was adopted as a naval term for ships designed to dismantle enemy forces.
The hurricane acted as a destroyer, leveling entire neighborhoods.
Modern destroyers are equipped with advanced missile systems.
The invasive species became a destroyer of local ecosystems.
The rebel army used guerrilla tactics to evade the government’s destroyer battalions.
Critics called the new policy an economic destroyer of small businesses.