pallor

American  

[pal-er] / ˈpæl ər /

noun

pallors plural

1. unusual or extreme paleness, as from fear, ill health, or death; wanness.

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pallor British  

/ ˈpælə /

noun

1. a pale condition, esp when unnatural

   fear gave his face a deathly pallor

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pallors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pallor

1650–60; < Latin: paleness, equivalent to pall ( ēre ) to be pale + -or -or ¹

Explanation

When you’ve got the flu, that pale, sickly color of your skin is called a pallor. Other causes of pallor include shock, stress, or 10 days spent indoors trying to beat your new video game. Pallor comes from the Latin word pallere, which just means to “be pale.” That’s easy enough to remember, right? Pallor, pale. Don’t make yourself sick trying to memorize it, or you might get an unhealthy pallor from the strain.

Example Sentences

“The fence is way over the top — tasteless,” said Gerald Pallor, 73, of Saugerties, a longtime friend of the Richards family.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2021

Pallor and fatigue didn’t seem bad enough to make someone miss so much school.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata

Pallor is ordinarily a mark of fear; but in some brave natures it is simply a characteristic of intense earnestness.

From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin

Pallor and suffering are stamped on all faces....

From The French Revolution - Volume 3 by Durand, John

Pallor, loss of appetite, and insomnia345 accompany the condition.

From The Mother and Her Child by Sadler, William S.