- Pulverize is to crush into powder, or to demolish.
When a building is torn down, this is an example of when the building is pulverized.
transitive verbpulverized, pulverizing
- to crush, grind, etc. into a powder or dust
- to break down completely; demolish
Origin of pulverizeMiddle French pulveriser ; from Late Latin pulverizare ; from Classical Latin pulvis, powder: see pollen
verbpul·ver·ized, pul·ver·iz·ing, pul·ver·iz·es
- To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust.
- To overwhelm or defeat utterly: The visitors pulverized the home team.
Origin of pulverizeMiddle English pulverizen, from Late Latin pulverizāre, from Latin pulvis, pulver-, dust.
(third-person singular simple present pulverizes, present participle pulverizing, simple past and past participle pulverized)
- (American) Alternative spelling of pulverise.