albescent

[al-bes-uhnt]

adjective

1. becoming white; whitish.

albescent

/ ælˈbɛsənt /

adjective

1. shading into, growing, or becoming white

Other Word Forms

• albescence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of albescent¹

1825–35; < Latin albēscent- (stem of albēscēns, present participle of albēscere ), equivalent to alb ( us ) white + -ēscent- -escent

Word History and Origins

Origin of albescent¹

C19: from Latin albēscere to grow white, from albus white

Example Sentences

Unit-Peripheral's sensorium swivelled back to the q-mailed image: a multicoloured globe with ugly patterns of toxic cyan, sickly green patches, deathly brown scars, all overlain with ghastly albescent tendrils.

From Nature

It chiefly differs in the croup being blue instead of snow-white; but as Mr. Blyth informs me, the tint varies, being sometimes albescent.

From Project Gutenberg

DESCRIPTION.—Above rusty brown; below rusty, more or less albescent; extremities pale, almost flesh-coloured; ears rather long; head rather elongated; tail equal to and sometimes exceeding head and body.

From Project Gutenberg

It differs chiefly in the croup being blue instead of snow-white; but as Mr. Blyth informs me, the tint varies, being sometimes albescent.

From Project Gutenberg