Vulnerating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The action that results in making someone or something open to potential damage or loss
2. Causing a person or thing to become defenseless against danger or attack
3. Rendering an individual or object susceptible to injury or loss

Etymology: "Vulnerating" is the present participle of "vulnerate," a verb borrowed from Latin "vulnerare," meaning "to wound." The Latin verb itself comes from "vulnus," "wound," which is the same root behind the English "vulnerable." That makes the two words close relatives: "vulnerable" describes something that can be wounded, while "vulnerate" describes the act of wounding or exposing something to harm. Latin "vulnerare" was a straightforward, physical word for inflicting a wound on a body. Over time, English use of "vulnerate" stretched from literal injury toward the broader sense given here: making a person or object open to damage or loss. The shift is a common one, moving from a bodily wound to any kind of exposure to harm.