ultra-thin
Meaning
extremely thin; having a very small thickness.
Structure
Usage
the new smartphone features an ultra-thin bezel for a more immersive display.
she wore an ultra-thin jacket that was surprisingly warm for its weight.
the engineer developed an ultra-thin layer of coating to protect the circuit.
Etymology
the word 'ultra-thin' is a modern english compound formed by combining the latin-derived intensifying prefix 'ultra-' with the native english adjective 'thin'. the prefix 'ultra-', entering english via latin, originally denoted spatial position beyond something but evolved to signify an extreme degree. the adjective 'thin' has germanic origins, tracing back to proto-germanic 'thunnuz', related to concepts of stretching and attenuation. when combined, 'ultra-' amplifies the core meaning of 'thin' to its furthest extent, creating a term that logically describes an object whose slimness exceeds the ordinary. this pattern of using classical prefixes to intensify native adjectives is common in technical and descriptive english vocabulary.
Analysis
ultra (from latin 'ultra', meaning 'beyond, on the other side of', used as an intensifying prefix); thin (from old english 'þynne', meaning 'not thick, slender', used as the core adjective).