The term 'nutrient-deficient' combines 'nutrient,' from the Latin 'nutrire,' meaning 'to nourish,' and 'deficient,' from the Latin 'deficere,' meaning 'to fail or lack.'

'Nutrient' evolved from the Latin 'nutrientem,' while 'deficient' came from the Latin 'deficientem,' both entering English through Old French.

Initially, 'deficient' meant 'failing or lacking,' and 'nutrient' referred to substances that provide nourishment. Together, they describe a state of lacking nourishment.