%destructor%

n. [ L., from destruere. See Destroy, and cf. Destroyer. ] 1. A destroyer. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Fire, the destructor and the artificial death of things. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A furnace or oven for the burning or carbonizing of refuse; specif. (Sewage Disposal), a furnace (called in full
refuse destructor) in which the more solid constituents of sewage are burnt. Destructors are often so constructed as to utilize refuse as fuel. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. (Computers) in object-oriented programming, a function which destroys an object which was previously created by a different function. [ PJC ]