depauperate

[ dih-paw-per-it ]

/ dɪˈpɔ pər ɪt /

adjective Biology.

poorly or imperfectly developed.

Origin of depauperate

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-shuh n] /dɪˌpɔ pəˈreɪ ʃən/, noun

Words nearby depauperate

departmental store, departmentalism, departmentalize, departure, depasture, depauperate, depend, dependable, dependant, dependence, dependency

Example sentences from the Web for depauperate

The muralis gopher is a depauperate form clearly belonging to the bottae group.

Comments on the Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Some North American Rodents |E. Raymond Hall
Depauperate, impoverished or starved, and so below the natural size.

The Elements of Botany |Asa Gray
Probably a depauperate form of Ophióglossum vulgàtum and about half as large.

The Fern Lover's Companion |George Henry Tilton
It looks like a depauperate L. epidendrum, but seems to be constantly collected.

The North American Slime-Moulds |Thomas H. (Thomas Huston) MacBride

The species was probably first named from poor or depauperate specimens.

The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits |Mary Elizabeth Parsons