Word of the Day for Thursday April 21, 2005 enervate \EN-ur-vayt\, transitive verb: 1. To deprive of vigor, force, or strength; to render feeble; to weaken. 2. To reduce the moral or mental vigor of. Beatriz de Ahumada soldiered on to produce nine more children, a tour of duty that left her enervated and worn. --Cathleen Medwick, [1]Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul In countries like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Ghana I have always felt enervated by the slightest physical or mental exertion, whereas in the UK, France, Germany or the US I have always felt reinforced and stimulated by the temperate climate, not only during long stays, but even during brief travels. --David S. Landes, [2]The Wealth and Poverty of Nations The tendency of abstract thought... to enervate the will is one of the real dangers of the highest education. --Mark Pattison, [3]Suggestions on Academical Organisation The conquerors were enervated by luxury. --Edward Gibbon, [4]The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire _________________________________________________________ Enervate is from the past participle of Latin enervare, "to remove the sinews from, to weaken," from e-, ex-, "out of, from" + nervus, "sinew." References 1. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0394547942/ref%3dnosim/lexico 2. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0393318885/ref%3dnosim/lexico 3. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0405100272/ref%3dnosim/lexico 4. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0140437649/ref%3dnosim/lexico Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=enervate