dilapidate

dilapidate
\ \ [16] It is a common misconception that dilapidate means literally ‘fall apart stone by stone’, since the word comes ultimately from Latin lapisstone’ (as in lapis lazuli [14], literally ‘azure stone’). But in fact Latin dīlapidāre meant ‘squander’ (a sense once current in English, but now superseded). It was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and lapidārethrow stones’, and thus originally must have meant literally ‘scatter like stones’, but its only recorded sense is the metaphorical extension ‘throw away or destroy wantonly, squander’. The application of the word to the destruction of buildings is a piece of later etymologizing.
\ \ Cf.LAPIS LAZULI

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Dilapidate — Di*lap i*date, v. i. To get out of repair; to fall into partial ruin; to become decayed; as, the church was suffered to dilapidate. Johnson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dilapidate — Di*lap i*date, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dilapidated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dilapidating}.] [L. dilapidare to scatter like stones; di = dis + lapidare to throw stones, fr. lapis a stone. See {Lapidary}.] 1. To bring into a condition of decay or partial… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dilapidate — index decay, degenerate, deteriorate, impair, spoil (impair) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • dilapidate — 1560s, to bring a building to ruin, from L. dilapidatus, pp. of dilapidare to squander, waste, originally to throw stones, scatter like stones; see DILAPIDATION (Cf. dilapidation). Perhaps the English word is a back formation from dilapidation …   Etymology dictionary

  • dilapidate — *ruin, wreck Analogous words: *decay, disintegrate, crumble, decompose: *neglect, ignore, disregard, forget, slight, overlook Contrasted words: repair, rebuild, *mend: *renew, restore, renovate, rejuvenate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • dilapidate — [də lap′ə dāt΄] vi., vt. dilapidated, dilapidating [< L dilapidatus, pp. of dilapidare, to squander, demolish < dis , apart + lapidare, to throw stones at < lapis, a stone: see LAPIDARY] to become or cause to become partially ruined and… …   English World dictionary

  • dilapidate — verb /dɪˈlæp.ɪ.deɪt,dəˈlæp.ə.deɪt/ a) To fall into ruin or disuse. In the last days of autumn he had whitewashed the chalet, painted the doors, windows, and veranda, repaired the roof and interior, and improved the place so much that the landlord …   Wiktionary

  • dilapidate — [16] It is a common misconception that dilapidate means literally ‘fall apart stone by stone’, since the word comes ultimately from Latin lapis ‘stone’ (as in lapis lazuli [14], literally ‘azure stone’). But in fact Latin dīlapidāre meant… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • dilapidate — verb ( dated; dating) Etymology: Latin dilapidatus, past participle of dilapidare to squander, destroy, from dis + lapidare to pelt with stones, from lapid , lapis stone Date: 1565 transitive verb 1. to bring into a condition of decay or …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • dilapidate — dilapidation, n. dilapidator, n. /di lap i dayt /, v. dilapidated, dilapidating. v.t. 1. to cause or allow (a building, automobile, etc.) to fall into a state of disrepair, as by misuse or neglect (often used passively): The house had been… …   Universalium

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