rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -atio
Latin

-atio

an action, process, or result

Forms

  • -atio
  • -ation- — Latin stem used outside the basic noun form.
  • -ation — Borrowed into English through French and Latin.

Origin

Latin -a-, associated with one class of verbs, plus the action-noun suffix -tio.

Note

The same formation can name either doing something or what the action produces.

218 / 398
A close view of an open kitchen drawer overrun with cockroaches: many crawl among clean cutlery, across the drawer edges, and out of a dark rear crevice.
noun

infestation

in-feh-STAY-shun/ˌɪnfeˈsteɪʃn/

The presence of pests in damaging numbers.

Etymology
infestLatinto attack, disturb
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

The underlying verb meant to attack or trouble. Its later sense of swarming over something or attacking parasitically connects that hostile activity with the presence of unwanted pests.

Full entry

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