depauperate
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (adjective) /dɪˈpɔːpəɹət/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- IPA(key): (verb) /dɪˈpɔːpəɹeɪt/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Etymology 1
From Middle English depauperat (“impoverished”), from Medieval Latin depauperātus (“impoverished”), past participle of depauperō (“to impoverish”), itself from Latin de- + pauperō (“to impoverish”), from pauper (“poor”). Equivalent to de- + pauper + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with Italian depauperare, Spanish depauperar.
Adjective
depauperate (comparative more depauperate, superlative most depauperate)
- (botany, of a plant, etc.) Having stunted growth[1]
- (obsolete) Impoverished.
- Having a limited biodiversity.
- 2009, David Quammen, Where the Salmon Rule, National Geographic (August 2009), page 35,
- "...because of Kamchatka's isolation from mainland river systems, its streams are relatively depauperate of other fresh water fish, leaving Oncorhynchus species to face few competitors and predators."
- 2009, David Quammen, Where the Salmon Rule, National Geographic (August 2009), page 35,
Etymology 2
From the above adjective; see -ate for more. Equivalent to de- + pauper + -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Verb
depauperate (third-person singular simple present depauperates, present participle depauperating, simple past and past participle depauperated)
- (obsolete) To impoverish.
- 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
- Liming […] does not so much depauperate; the ground will last long, and beareth larger grain.
- 1678, Antiquitates Christianæ: Or, the History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […], London: […] E. Flesher, and R. Norton, for R[ichard] Royston, […], →OCLC:
- Humility of mind which depauperates the spirit.
- To stunt the growth of.
References
- ^ Asa Gray (1857) “[Glossary […].] Depauperate.”, in First Lessons in Botany and Vegetable Physiology, […], New York, N.Y.: Ivison & Phinney and G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam & Co., […], →OCLC.
Italian
Etymology 1
Verb
depauperate
- inflection of depauperare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Etymology 2
Participle
depauperate f pl
- feminine plural of depauperato
Spanish
Verb
depauperate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of depauperar combined with te