fatigue
UK[fəˈtiːɡ]US[fəˈtiːɡ]
n
a feeling of extreme physical or mental tiredness
n
weakness in a material, especially metal, caused by repeated stress
v
to cause someone to feel extremely tired
Etymology
the word 'fatigue' entered english in the mid-17th century from french, where it meant 'weariness'. the french term derived from the latin verb fatigare, 'to tire out or weary'. this latin root is thought to be related to an older, possibly pre-latin, italic base meaning 'to cause to break' or 'to choke', a sense that conceptually links to the feeling of being worn down or exhausted. over time, the meaning expanded from describing physical exhaustion to include mental weariness and, in engineering, the weakening of materials under repeated strain, preserving the core idea of a gradual breakdown from sustained effort.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from french, where it was borrowed as a whole unit. its ultimate origin is the latin verb fatigare meaning 'to tire'. the english spelling and pronunciation were adopted directly from the french form.
Examples
the soldiers were suffering from extreme fatigue after the long march.
metal fatigue was determined to be the cause of the structural failure.
the relentless schedule began to fatigue even the most energetic team members.