pixelated
UK[ˈpɪk.səl.eɪ.tɪd]US[ˈpɪk.səl.eɪ.t̬ɪd]
adj
(of a digital image) having a blocky, blurred appearance because the individual pixels are visible, often as a result of being enlarged too much.
adj
(of a person's face or identity in an image) deliberately obscured by superimposing a grid of pixels, typically for privacy or censorship.
Morpheme Breakdown
pixel
ated
pixel
picture element
ated
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "pixelated" is a modern formation built upon the relatively recent term "pixel," which itself is a portmanteau. "pixel" was coined in the 1960s from "pix," a casual abbreviation for "pictures" common in the publishing industry, combined with "element" to denote the smallest controllable unit of a digital image. the suffix "-ated," of latin origin via french, is used to form adjectives meaning "provided with" or "characterized by." therefore, "pixelated" literally means "characterized by pixels," which evolved to specifically describe the visual artifact where these individual picture elements become disruptively apparent, breaking the intended seamless image. this meaning later extended to the deliberate application of pixel grids to obscure identity.
Analysis
Structure: pixel (picture element) + ated (adjective suffix)
pixel: a blend of "pix" (a colloquial shortening of "pictures") and "el" (from "element"). origin is 20th-century english.
ated: a suffix forming adjectives, often from past participles of verbs, indicating a state or condition. origin is latin via old french.
Examples
the low-resolution photo became badly pixelated when we tried to print it poster-sized.
the witness's face was pixelated in the news report to protect their privacy.
streaming the video on a slow connection sometimes results in a blocky, pixelated image.