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extirpated

American  
[ek-ster-pey-tid, ik-stur-pey-] / ˈɛk stərˌpeɪ tɪd, ɪkˈstɜr peɪ- /

adjective

  1. having been destroyed or removed.

    Histological examination determined that all the extirpated tumors were meningiomas.

  2. Biology. (of a species) no longer found in a given area; locally or regionally extinct.

    In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the James River is the last confirmed holdout for the nearly extirpated Atlantic sturgeon.

    The successful reintroduction of an extirpated species such as the scarlet ibis indicates that it may be possible to recover at least part of the original biota of the region.


verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of extirpate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of extirpated

First recorded in 1695–1705; extirpate ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; extirpate ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wildlife officials have collared a dozen gray wolves in Northern California in an effort to better understand and manage the species that has made a comeback in the state after being extirpated a century ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2025

"Jaguars were nearly, but never fully, extirpated from this region," McSpadden explained, adding that they are "tenacious" animals, and populations from northern Mexico have always strayed across the U.S.-Mexico border from time to time.

From Salon • May 31, 2024

This suggests that local populations may have been extirpated -- a term to describe a type of localized extinction, said study co-author Scott Baker, associate director of OSU's Marine Mammal Institute.

From Science Daily • Oct. 2, 2023

“The tribe’s fish and wildfire management plan has a goal of reintroducing and reestablishing wildlife populations that have been removed or extirpated from the reservations,” Piccinini said in a previous interview with The Spokesman-Review.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2022

It behooves us to heed the warning of such examples, and now and then to be idle betimes, lest the capacity for idleness be extirpated by disuse.

From A Rambler's lease by Torrey, Bradford

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