eviscerate
Definitions
To remove the internal organs of; to gut
取出……的内脏；开膛
To deprive of essential force or content; to strip of what makes it effective
抽掉……的精华或力量；使名存实亡
Root Breakdown
Root-derivede- (out) + viscer (organs) + -ate (verb) = 'to take the organs out,' to gut. The figurative sense follows the same picture: to eviscerate a law or an argument is to pull out everything essential and leave an empty shell, just as gutting leaves only a carcass.
Root visc still carries 3 more wordsWhy It Means This
The literal sense (gutting an animal) gives the figurative one its punch. When a court 'eviscerates' a regulation, it doesn't delete it outright — it removes the provisions that gave it teeth, leaving a hollow law that exists on paper but can't bite. The horror of the original image is exactly what makes the metaphor vivid.
Common Collocations
- 1.eviscerate a bill掏空一项法案
- 2.eviscerate an argument驳倒一个论点
- 3.eviscerate the budget大幅削减预算
- 4.eviscerate a regulation架空一项法规
Example Sentences
- 1.
The chef taught us how to eviscerate a fish before cooking it.
- 2.
The amendment eviscerated the original bill, leaving it almost meaningless.
- 3.
Her cross-examination eviscerated the witness's testimony.
Synonym Comparison
- eviscerate — to gut, removing everything essential and leaving a hollow shell
- gut — the plain everyday word for the same action, literal or figurative
- dismantle — to take apart piece by piece, more neutral and systematic
- undermine — to weaken gradually from below, not all at once
- demolish — to destroy completely, often used of arguments