de·mol·ish / diˈmälish/ • v. [tr.] pull or knock down (a building). ∎  comprehensively refute (an argument or its proponent). ∎ inf. overwhelmingly defeat (a player or team). ∎ humorous eat up (food) quickly: we demolished the potato pancakes.DERIVATIVES: de·mol·ish·er n.ORIGIN: mid 16th cent.: from French démoliss-, lengthened stem of démolir, from Latin demoliri, from de- (expressing reversal) + moliri ‘construct’ (from moles ‘mass’).

demolish XVI. — démoliss-, lengthened stem of (O)F. démolir — L. dēmōlīrī, f. DE- 1 + mōlīrī construct, f. mōles mass; see -ISH 2.
So demolition XVII.