low-oxygen
|low-ox-y-gen|
🇺🇸
/loʊ ˈɑksɪdʒən/
🇬🇧
/ləʊ ˈɒksɪdʒən/
little oxygen
Etymology
'low-oxygen' originates from English, specifically the words 'low' and 'oxygen', where 'low' came from Old English 'hlāw' meaning 'not high; small/less' and 'oxygen' came via French 'oxygène' and Modern Latin 'oxygenium', ultimately from Greek 'oxys' meaning 'sharp; acid' and the suffix '-gen' meaning 'producer'.
'low-oxygen' changed from the separate descriptive words 'low' + 'oxygen' into a hyphenated compound 'low-oxygen' commonly used in modern scientific and medical English to denote reduced oxygen levels.
Initially, 'oxygen' (from Greek roots) meant 'acid producer'; over time 'oxygen' became the name for the chemical element and the gas. 'low-oxygen' has come to mean specifically 'having reduced oxygen levels' in current usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a condition or environment in which oxygen levels are low (often used in the phrase 'low-oxygen conditions').
Scientists measured a patch of low-oxygen near the seafloor.
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Adjective 1
containing or characterized by a lower-than-normal concentration of oxygen; having reduced oxygen levels.
Many aquatic species struggle to survive in low-oxygen waters.
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 14:26