depauperate

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English depauperat (“impoverished”) with +‎ -ate, from Medieval Latin depauperatus (“impoverished”), past participle of depauperare (“to impoverish”), from Latin de- + pauperare (“to impoverish”), from pauper (“poor”). Cognate with Italian depauperare, Spanish depauperar.

Pronunciation edit

(adjective) IPA^(key): /dɪˈpɔːpəɹət/
- Audio (Southern England) (file)
(verb) IPA^(key): /dɪˈpɔːpəɹeɪt/
- Audio (Southern England) (file)

Adjective edit

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."

Verb edit

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. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], published 1708, →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 edit

^ 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.