decimation

/ˌdɛsɪˈmeɪʃən/noun
High School
1

The killing or punishment of every tenth person, usually by lot.

2

The killing or destruction of any large portion of a population.

3

A tithe or the act of tithing.

4

The creation of a new sequence comprising only every nth element of a source sequence.

5

A digital signal-processing technique for reducing the number of samples in a discrete-time signal; downsampling

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing