FAQ 20.03 What is the purpose of a destructor?

The destructor is the last member function ever called for an object. The destructor's typical purpose is to release resources that the object is holding. The word "dtor" is shorthand for the word "destructor."

A class can have at most one destructor. For a class named X, the destructor is a member function named ~X().

Just as a constructor turns a pile of incoherent, arbitrary bits into a living object, a destructor turns a living object into a pile of incoherent, arbitrary bits. A destructor blows an object to bits.