Waterlogged

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Soaked to the point where saturation compromises its structure or usability
2. Saturated excessively with water, resulting in diminished function or integrity of the affected item or environment
3. Drenched or overly saturated, causing a decline in the performance or stability of the affected material or setting

Etymology: Waterlogged began as a nautical term for a ship. "Waterlog" was used of a vessel that had taken on so much water that it sat low and sluggish in the sea, barely able to float. The verb is built from "water" and "log," and the "log" here is not the piece of timber but the Middle English "logge," which is probably related to the Old Norse "liggja," meaning to lie down or lie still. The image is of something lying inert in the water, heavy as a log. The word was then turned from a ship to the land. A waterlogged field or cellar is one so soaked that it can no longer drain or hold up, and the same logic applies to a damaged boat or a clogged machine. The past-tense ending "-ed" comes from Old English "-ed," which marks the completed state, so "waterlogged" describes the condition the thing has been pushed into.

Synonyms: saturated, soaked

Antonyms: dry, drained