/ ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃ; NAmE -ˈpɑːv-/ verb [ vn ]
1.
to make sb poor :
These changes are likely to impoverish single-parent families even further.
2.
to make sth worse in quality :
Intensive cultivation has impoverished the soil.
► im·pov·er·ish·ment noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (formerly also as empoverish ): from Old French empoveriss- , lengthened stem of empoverir , based on povre poor.