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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary des·e·crate (-crat·ed ; -crat·ing) ETYMOLOGY de- + -secrate (as in consecrate) DATE 1675 1. to violate the sanctity of : profane desecrate a shrine 2. to treat disrespectfully, irreverently, or outrageously the kind of shore development…that has desecrated so many waterfronts — John Fischer English Etymology desecrate 1674, formed from de- "do the opposite of" + (con)secrate. O.Fr .had dessacrer "to profane," and there is a similar formation in It.; but L. desecrare meant "to make holy," with de- in this case having a completive sense.http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 desecrate dese·crate / 5desikreit / verb[VN] to damage a holy thing or place or treat it without respect 亵渎(圣物或圣地): desecrated graves 被亵渎的坟墓 • dese·cra·tion / 7desi5kreiFn / noun [U] : the desecration of a cemetery 亵渎墓地 (figurative) the desecration of the countryside by new roads 新公路糟蹋了乡村 Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged des·e·crate I. \ˈdesə̇ˌkrāt, -sēˌ-, usu -ād.+V\ transitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: de- + -secrate (as in consecrate, v.) 1. a. : to violate the sanctity of by diverting from sacred purpose, by contaminating, or by defiling < they desecrated the shrine outright — bargaining with the Moslem merchants — Time > < it would desecrate the Lincoln Memorial to have an obviously false voice speak from the statue there — New York Times Magazine > < the quivering host whose house has been profaned and whose religion desecrated — W.L.Sullivan > b. : to divest of sacred character or treat as unhallowed < many cemeteries were desecrated > 2. archaic : to dedicate (someone or something) to false gods :condemn to an evil fate 3. : to treat (an object of veneration, reverent devotion, or admiration) irreverently or contemptuously often in a way to provoke outrage on the part of others < [his] great memory … has been desecrated. … — Margery Allingham > < Americans love the scenic outdoors, and they do not want to see it desecrated — R.L.Neuberger > 4. : to make desolate < churned up lawns and drives, and desecrated houses with their broken windows — S.P.B.Mais > II. \-_krə̇t, -krāt\ adjective Etymology: de- + -secrate (as in consecrate, adjective) : desecrated |
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