The word "decimate" is commonly understood today as a synonym for "destroy." However, its original meaning, derived from ancient Rome, was quite different, referring to the killing of one in ten. The article explores how this term's usage has strikingly changed over time.

Today, most people know the word as a synonym for "destroy." But fewer realize its origins — or that it's come to mean something strikingly different than it once did. <img alt="A depiction of a Roman decimation." src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3004x1688+0+0/resize/3004x1688!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2Fb4%2F8c9a22d3487f811911dcb6c85b29%2Fdecimation-by-william-hogarth-beavers-roman-military-punishments-chapter-4-1725.jpg" /><p>Today...