exhaustible
UK[ɪɡˈzɔːstəbl]US[ɪɡˈzɔːstəbl]
adj
(of a resource or supply) able to be used up completely so that nothing remains.
adj
(of a subject or topic) able to be dealt with or considered completely.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
haust
ible
ex
out
haust
draw
ible
able to be
Etymology
the word exhaustible is built upon the latin verb haurire, meaning "to draw up or out, drain". this verb itself is thought to derive from a proto-indo-european root meaning "to draw, to take". the latin past participle haustus gives us the core morpheme "haust", which entered english via the verb "exhaust", meaning to drain completely of resources or strength. the prefix "ex-" intensifies the sense of drawing "out" until empty. finally, the suffix "-ible" is added to form an adjective indicating the capacity or potential for this complete depletion to occur. thus, the literal "able to be drawn out completely" logically evolved into the modern meaning of something that can be used up or fully treated.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + haust (draw) + ible (able to be)
ex: latin origin, a prefix meaning "out, out of, thoroughly".
haust: from latin haustus, the past participle stem of haurire meaning "to draw (water), drain".
ible: latin suffix -ibilis, forming adjectives meaning "able to be, capable of".
Examples
fossil fuels are an exhaustible resource that requires careful management.
the professor argued that human creativity is not exhaustible.
we have nearly exhausted what seemed like an exhaustible list of options.