depauperate

[ dih-paw-per-it ]

adjectiveBiology.
  1. poorly or imperfectly developed.

Origin of depauperate

1
1425–75; late Middle English <Late Latin dēpauperātus (past participle of dēpauperāre to make poor), equivalent to dē-de- + pauper(āre) to make poor (pauper- poor (see pauper) + -ātus-ate1)

Other words from depauperate

  • de·pau·per·a·tion [dih-paw-puh-rey-shuhn], /dɪˌpɔ pəˈreɪ ʃən/, noun

Words Nearby depauperate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use depauperate in a sentence