*destruct*

n. [ Cf. F. destructibilité. ] The quality of being capable of destruction; destructibleness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. destructibilis. ] Liable to destruction; capable of being destroyed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being destructible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. destructio: cf. F. destruction. See Destroy. ] 1. The act of destroying; a tearing down; a bringing to naught; subversion; demolition; ruin; slaying; devastation. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction. Esth. ix. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Destruction of venerable establishment. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being destroyed, demolished, ruined, slain, or devastated. [ 1913 Webster ]

This town came to destruction. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou castedst them down into destruction. Ps. lxxiii. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A destroying agency; a cause of ruin or of devastation; a destroyer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The destruction that wasteth at noonday. Ps. xci. 6.

Syn. -- Demolition; subversion; overthrow; desolation; extirpation; extinction; devastation; downfall; extermination; havoc; ruin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who delights in destroying that which is valuable; one whose principles and influence tend to destroy existing institutions; a destructive. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Theol.) One who believes in the final destruction or complete annihilation of the wicked; -- called also annihilationist. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. destructivus: cf. F. destructif. ] Causing destruction; tending to bring about ruin, death, or devastation; ruinous; fatal; productive of serious evil; mischievous; pernicious; -- often with of or to; as, intemperance is destructive of health; evil examples are destructive to the morals of youth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Time's destructive power. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Destructive distillation. See Distillation. --
Destructive sorties fld>(Logic), a process of reasoning which involves the denial of the first of a series of dependent propositions as a consequence of the denial of the last; a species of reductio ad absurdum. Whately.

Syn. -- Mortal; deadly; poisonous; fatal; ruinous; malignant; baleful; pernicious; mischievous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who destroys; a radical reformer; a destructionist. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a destructive manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. prenom. (Biochemistry & Physiology) energy-releasing (prenominal); same as catabolic.
Syn. -- . [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The quality of destroying or ruining. Prynne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Phren.) The faculty supposed to impel to the commission of acts of destruction; propensity to destroy. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

n. [ Cf. F. indestructibilité. ] The quality of being indestructible. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + destructible: cf. F. indestructible. ] Not destructible; incapable of decomposition or of being destroyed; as, the Russian harvesters had primitive electronics, but they were built so sturdily they were almost indestructible. -- In`de*struc"ti*ble*ness, n. -- In`de*struc"ti*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The destruction of one's self; self-murder; suicide. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]