The kanji 滅 (metsu) primarily conveys the meaning of "to destroy," "to perish," "to be ruined," or "to extinguish." It implies a complete ending or the eradication of something, often with a sense of finality. It can refer to the destruction of physical things, the loss of life, or the cessation of a state or condition.

・On-yomi (音読み): メツ (metsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ほろ-びる (horo-biru), ほろ-ぶ (horo-bu)

⚫︎ 滅亡 Translation: Destruction, ruin, downfall ⚫︎ 絶滅 Translation: Extinction ⚫︎ 滅菌 Translation: Sterilization

The kanji 滅 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 氵 (san-zu / water radical), indicating a relation to water, and the right side is 戌 (jutsu) meaning "the eleventh sign of the Chinese zodiac, representing a period of decline." The original meaning of 滅 was related to the extinguishment of fire. The addition of the water radical on the left side suggests that it was used to extinguish something. Over time, the meaning expanded to cover destruction, ruin, and disappearance in general.