hypoxic

[ hahy-pok-sik ]

adjective

1. having or caused by a very low level of oxygen:

   The hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico is caused by excess nutrients, mainly nitrogen from fertilizer runoff.

   Some brain structures are believed to be particularly vulnerable to hypoxic damage during birth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypoxic¹

First recorded in 1940–45; hypox(ia) ( def ) + -ic ( def )