Lexic.us

Definition of Impoverish

1. Verb. Make poor.

Definition of Impoverish

1. v. t. To make poor; to reduce to poverty or indigence; as, misfortune and disease impoverish families.

Definition of Impoverish

1. Verb. (transitive) Make poor. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) Weaken in quality; deprive of some strength or richness. ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive) Become poor. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Impoverish

1. [v -ED, -ING, -ES]

Medical Definition of Impoverish

1. 1. To make poor; to reduce to poverty or indigence; as, misfortune and disease impoverish families. 2. To exhaust the strength, richness, or fertility of; to make sterile; as, to impoverish land. Origin: OF. Empovrir; pref. Em- (L. In) + povre poor, F. Pauvre; cf. OF. Apovrir, F. Appauvrir, where the prefix is a-, L. Ad. Cf. Empoverish, and see Poor, and -ish. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Impoverish

Literary usage of Impoverish

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. An Inquiry Into the Causes of the General Poverty and Dependence of Mankind by William Dawson (1814)
"Of Taxes that impoverish the People and diminish their Number. As no person can exist without food, nor in any degree of comfort without cloaths, a house, ..."

2. An Inquiry Into the Causes of the General Poverty and Dependence of Mankind by William Dawson (1814)
"Of Taxes that impoverish the People and diminish their Number. As no person can exist without food, nor in any degree of comfort ..."

3. The Imperial Gazetteer of India by William Wilson Hunter (1887)
"... granted by Government when drought, flood, excess of rain, blight, or other accidents impoverish their tenants. If the decision of the civil courts is ..."

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