Collabent

/kəˈleɪbənt/ adjective

Definition

An archaic or technical term meaning tending to fall or collapse together; lacking support or stability.

Etymology

From Latin 'collabens,' the present participle of 'collabi' meaning 'to fall together,' composed of 'com-' (together) and 'labi' (to fall or slide).

Kelly Says

This rare Latin-rooted word survives mainly in geological and architectural texts to describe unstable structures—it's a linguistic fossil from when English borrowed more freely from scientific Latin.

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