centesimation
nounUK /ˌsɛntiːsɪˈmeɪʃən/
Etymology From the Latin centēsimātiō, from centēsimō, from centēsimus (“hundredth”); compare quintation, septimation, decimation, vicesimation, and tricesimation.
1
Government, History, Human sciences, Military, Politics, Sciences, War Rare The selection by lot of every hundredth man (of an army or group of prisoners or mutineers) for execution.
- CENTESIMATION, a milder kind of military puniſhment, in caſes of deſertion, mutiny, and the like, when only every hundredth man is executed.1763, A New and Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, second edition, page 522:
- Sometimes the criminals were decimated by lot, as appears in Polybius, Tacitus, Plutarch, Appian, Dio, Julius Capitolinus, who also mentions a centesimation.page 413
3 more examples
- 1897, The Columbian Cyclopedia VI, “centesimate” To inflict the punishment of centesimation.
- Centesimation…carries only one-tenth the sensation value of “decimation”.1980, Stephen Spender, Irving Kristol, editors, Encounter, LIV, page 71:
- Decimate, to select by lot and put to death every tenth man of (a captured army or body of prisoners or mutineers) […] Compare 1/100: centesimation.1992, Laurence Urdang, Three Toed Sloths and Seven League Boots, page 151:
- Related terms
- centesimate
- Coordinate terms
- quintation (1, 5), septimation (1, 7), decimation (1, 10), vicesimation (1, 20), tricesimation (1, 30)