DEC'IMATE, verb transitive [Latin decimo, from decem, ten.] 1. To tithe; to take the tenth part. 2. To select by lot and punish with death every tenth man; a practice in armies, for punishing mutinous or unfaithful troops. 3. To take every tenth.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI