Deinfest

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To rid an area or object of infestations, particularly pests or unwanted organisms
2. To eliminate invasive species or harmful entities from a specific environment
3. To clear a space of unwanted inhabitants or nuisances that disrupt balance or safety

Etymology: "Infest" began as a word about hostility. It comes from Latin "infestare," meaning to attack or harass, which grew from "infestus," meaning hostile or unsafe. The sense of creatures swarming into a place developed from that older idea of an enemy overrunning territory. "Deinfest" is a plain formation rather than an inherited term. The prefix "de-," which signals removal or reversal, is attached to "infest," so the verb means to clear a place of what has invaded it. Its history is essentially that of its two parts.

Synonyms: disinfest, exterminate, eradicate, clear, remove

Antonyms: infest, contaminate, pollute, infect, invade