v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impoverished p. pr. & vb. n. Impoverishing. ] [ 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. ] 1. To make poor; to reduce to poverty or indigence; as, misfortune and disease impoverish families. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. To exhaust the strength, richness, or fertility of; to make sterile; as, to impoverish land. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. OF. empoverissement, and F. appauvrissement. ] The act of impoverishing, or the state of being impoverished; reduction to poverty. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]