"destruct" meaning in All languages combined

See destruct on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

IPA: /dɪˈstɹʌkt/ Audio: en-us-destruct.ogg [US] Forms: destructs [present, singular, third-person], destructing [participle, present], destructed [participle, past], destructed [past]
Rhymes: -ʌkt Etymology: Originally a learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-, the perfect passive participial stem of dēstruō (“to destroy”). In modern use, probably in part a back-formation from destruction. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*strew-}}, {{lbor|en|la||dēstrūct-|nocap=1}} learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-, {{glossary|stem}} stem, {{back-formation|en|destruction|nocap=1}} back-formation from destruction Head templates: {{en-verb}} destruct (third-person singular simple present destructs, present participle destructing, simple past and past participle destructed)
  1. (transitive, now nonstandard) To intentionally cause the destruction of. Tags: nonstandard, transitive Synonyms: destroy Translations (to cause the destruction of): разруша́вам (razrušávam) (Bulgarian), vernietigen (Dutch), slopen (Dutch), tuhota (Finnish), zerstören (German), distruggere (Italian), distruge (Romanian), разруша́ть (razrušátʹ) (Russian), förstöra (Swedish), yıkmak (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-destruct-en-verb-uzk~bY01 Disambiguation of 'to cause the destruction of': 96 0 4
  2. (transitive, programming) To invoke the destructor of. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-destruct-en-verb-bPURl2xQ Categories (other): Programming, English back-formations, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Northern Kurdish translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English back-formations: 22 51 26 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 67 25 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 21 55 25 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 16 67 18 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 10 76 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 17 63 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 21 55 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 63 20 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 17 63 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 17 63 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Northern Kurdish translations: 6 88 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 12 62 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 17 63 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 16 65 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 16 65 19 Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences
  3. (intransitive) To self-destruct. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-destruct-en-verb-B4L5~Aa7
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: autodestruct, destructedness Related terms: destructible, destruction, destructive, destructor

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "autodestruct"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "destructedness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "perfect passive participial",
      "perfect passive participle"
    ],
    [
      "dēstruō",
      "destruo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "destruction",
      "destruction#English"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*strew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "",
        "4": "dēstrūct-",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-",
      "name": "lbor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "stem"
      },
      "expansion": "stem",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "destruction",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from destruction",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Originally a learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-, the perfect passive participial stem of dēstruō (“to destroy”). In modern use, probably in part a back-formation from destruction.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "destructs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "destruct (third-person singular simple present destructs, present participle destructing, simple past and past participle destructed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "destructible"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "destruction"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "destructive"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "destructor"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              290,
              300
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "a. 1639, Ioseph Mede, “How This Conflagration of the World, whereof S. Peter Speaks, and Especially of the Heavens, Is to Be Understood”, in A Paraphrase and Exposition of the Prophesie of Saint Peter, Concerning the Day of Christs Second Comming; […], London: […] R[ichard] Bishop, for Samuel Man, […], published 1642, →OCLC, pages 12–13:",
          "text": "Now the world which periſhed by water was no other than the ſublunary world; the Heaven whereof is that which we call Ayre, but the Scripture Heaven, which ſublunary heaven, together with the earth, was marred by that generall deluge; and the creatures belonging to them both either wholly deſtructed, or marvellouſly corrupted from that they were before: […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To intentionally cause the destruction of."
      ],
      "id": "en-destruct-en-verb-uzk~bY01",
      "links": [
        [
          "destruction",
          "destruction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, now nonstandard) To intentionally cause the destruction of."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "destroy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "nonstandard",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "razrušávam",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "разруша́вам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "vernietigen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "slopen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "tuhota"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "zerstören"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "distruggere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "distruge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "razrušátʹ",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "разруша́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "förstöra"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 0 4",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
          "word": "yıkmak"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Programming",
          "orig": "en:Programming",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 51 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English back-formations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 67 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 55 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 67 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 76 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 63 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 55 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 63 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 63 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 63 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 88 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Northern Kurdish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 62 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 63 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 65 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 65 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To invoke the destructor of."
      ],
      "id": "en-destruct-en-verb-bPURl2xQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "programming",
          "programming#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "invoke",
          "invoke"
        ],
        [
          "destructor",
          "destructor"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, programming) To invoke the destructor of."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "programming",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To self-destruct."
      ],
      "id": "en-destruct-en-verb-B4L5~Aa7",
      "links": [
        [
          "self-destruct",
          "self-destruct"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To self-destruct."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈstɹʌkt/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-destruct.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/En-us-destruct.ogg/En-us-destruct.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/En-us-destruct.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌkt"
    }
  ],
  "word": "destruct"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English back-formations",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English learned borrowings from Latin",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *strew-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for review of Northern Kurdish translations",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌkt",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌkt/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Northern Kurdish translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "autodestruct"
    },
    {
      "word": "destructedness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "perfect passive participial",
      "perfect passive participle"
    ],
    [
      "dēstruō",
      "destruo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "destruction",
      "destruction#English"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*strew-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "",
        "4": "dēstrūct-",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-",
      "name": "lbor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "stem"
      },
      "expansion": "stem",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "destruction",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from destruction",
      "name": "back-formation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Originally a learned borrowing from Latin dēstrūct-, the perfect passive participial stem of dēstruō (“to destroy”). In modern use, probably in part a back-formation from destruction.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "destructs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "destructed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "destruct (third-person singular simple present destructs, present participle destructing, simple past and past participle destructed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "destructible"
    },
    {
      "word": "destruction"
    },
    {
      "word": "destructive"
    },
    {
      "word": "destructor"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English nonstandard terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              290,
              300
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "a. 1639, Ioseph Mede, “How This Conflagration of the World, whereof S. Peter Speaks, and Especially of the Heavens, Is to Be Understood”, in A Paraphrase and Exposition of the Prophesie of Saint Peter, Concerning the Day of Christs Second Comming; […], London: […] R[ichard] Bishop, for Samuel Man, […], published 1642, →OCLC, pages 12–13:",
          "text": "Now the world which periſhed by water was no other than the ſublunary world; the Heaven whereof is that which we call Ayre, but the Scripture Heaven, which ſublunary heaven, together with the earth, was marred by that generall deluge; and the creatures belonging to them both either wholly deſtructed, or marvellouſly corrupted from that they were before: […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To intentionally cause the destruction of."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "destruction",
          "destruction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, now nonstandard) To intentionally cause the destruction of."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "destroy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "nonstandard",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Programming"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To invoke the destructor of."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "programming",
          "programming#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "invoke",
          "invoke"
        ],
        [
          "destructor",
          "destructor"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, programming) To invoke the destructor of."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "programming",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To self-destruct."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "self-destruct",
          "self-destruct"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To self-destruct."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈstɹʌkt/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-destruct.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/En-us-destruct.ogg/En-us-destruct.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/En-us-destruct.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌkt"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "razrušávam",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "разруша́вам"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "vernietigen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "slopen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "tuhota"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "zerstören"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "distruggere"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "distruge"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "razrušátʹ",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "разруша́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "förstöra"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "to cause the destruction of",
      "word": "yıkmak"
    }
  ],
  "word": "destruct"
}

Download raw JSONL data for destruct meaning in All languages combined (5.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-10-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-10-01 using wiktextract (f9fe161 and 6f96ddf). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.