Water-slain, an agricultural term that originated in 19th century England, describes a patch of land so oversaturated by water (usually due to flooding) that it is too soaked to produce a proper crop.

Water slain (without the dash) is also used as an alternate name for the potato Pink Rot, which occurs in hot, dry years when potatoes grow in heavy soils that stay moist enough to allow infection by a soil-borne fungus.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for our every-day potential usage of this term, at some point over the past century, water-slain has risen from its agricultural roots to become a dismissive term for weak (overly watery) tea.

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Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s newsletter.