decimate
v[Tn]
(a) kill or destroy a large part of (sth) 杀死或毁坏(某物)之大部
Disease has decimated the population. 疾病使大部分人死亡.
(b) (infml 口) reduce (sth) considerably 相当程度地减少、 降低(某事物)
Student numbers have been decimated by cuts in grants. 助学金削减後, 学生人数大大减少.
For his lifentime's work in studying the communication of animals, including honey bees, Professor Karl von Frisch was given a Nobel Prize in 1973, which he shared with two other scientists. He died in 1982.