Third-person singular present tense of destruct; causes something to break apart or be destroyed, or automatically activates a self-destruction mechanism.
From Latin 'destruere' (to tear down), this is the regular conjugation of the verb 'destruct' in third-person singular form, as in 'the bomb destructs upon impact.'
The word destructs became iconic through spy fiction—'this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds'—but it's also used seriously by aerospace engineers who design controlled destruction systems for failed satellites to prevent space debris.
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