emaciated
UK[ɪˈmeɪ.si.eɪ.tɪd]US[ɪˈmeɪ.si.eɪ.t̬ɪd]
adj
extremely thin and weak because of illness or lack of food
Morpheme Breakdown
e
maci
ated
e
maci
leanness, thinness
ated
characterized by, being in a state of
Etymology
The word 'emaciated' originates from the latin verb 'emaciare', which means "to make lean, to waste away". This verb itself is a compound of the intensive prefix 'ex-' (meaning "out, thoroughly") and the noun 'maciēs', denoting "leanness or thinness". The literal sense is thus "thoroughly brought out into a state of leanness". entering english in the early 17th century, the term evolved from describing the process of wasting away to its current usage as an adjective describing the resulting condition of being abnormally thin and weak, typically due to deprivation or disease.
Analysis
Structure: e + maci + ated
- e (variant of 'ex-'): latin origin, a prefix meaning "out of, thoroughly".
- maci: from latin 'maciēs', meaning "leanness, thinness".
- ated: latin-derived suffix forming participial adjectives, meaning "characterized by, being in a state of".
Examples
the prolonged famine left the population looking gaunt and emaciated.
rescuers found the emaciated dog wandering the streets and brought it to a shelter.
after his long illness, his face was pale and his frame was emaciated.