chlorosis

[ klaw-roh-sis, kloh- ]

/ klɔˈroʊ sɪs, kloʊ- /

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See synonyms for chlorosis on Thesaurus.com

noun

an abnormally yellow color of plant tissues, resulting from partial failure to develop chlorophyll, caused by a nutrient deficiency or the activities of a pathogen.

Also called greensickness. Pathology. a benign type of iron-deficiency anemia in adolescent girls, marked by a pale yellow-green complexion.

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Origin of chlorosis

First recorded in 1675–85; chlor-¹ + -osis

OTHER WORDS FROM chlorosis

chlo·rot·ic

[klaw-rot-ik, kloh-], /klɔˈrɒt ɪk, kloʊ-/, adjectivechlo·rot·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby chlorosis

chloroplast, chloroplatinic, chloroplatinic acid, chloroprene, chloroquine, chlorosis, chlorospinel, chlorosulfonic acid, chlorothalonil, chlorothiazide, chlorotrifluoroethylene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chlorosis in a sentence

When fourteen years old she had for some months suffered from chlorosis, but had never been troubled by any other serious illness.
The Sexual Life of the Child|Albert Moll
It is sometimes also found to accompany the chlorosis or green sickness.
A Treatise on the Incubus, or Night-Mare, Disturbed Sleep, Terrific Dreams and Nocturnal Visions|John Waller
For instance, the green-sickness, chlorosis, is by no means exclusively a disease of girls.
The Physical Life of Woman:|Dr. George H Napheys
This unnatural desire is also frequently seen in hysteria and chlorosis, and in several uterine diseases.
The Matron's Manual of Midwifery, and the Diseases of Women During Pregnancy and in Childbed|Frederick Hollick

It is only moderately productive and for some years has been affected with chlorosis.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick

British Dictionary definitions for chlorosis

chlorosis

/ (klɔːˈrəʊsɪs) /

noun

Also called: greensickness pathol a disorder, formerly common in adolescent girls, characterized by pale greenish-yellow skin, weakness, and palpitation and caused by insufficient iron in the body

botany a deficiency of chlorophyll in green plants caused by mineral deficiency, lack of light, disease, etc, the leaves appearing uncharacteristically pale

Derived forms of chlorosis

chlorotic (klɔːˈrɒtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for chlorosis

C17: from chloro- + -osis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for chlorosis

chlorosis

[ klə-rō′sĭs ]

The yellowing or whitening of normally green plant tissue because of loss or decreased production of chlorophyll, often as a result of disease, insufficient light, or inadequate sources of iron and magnesium.

chlorosis

Origin of chlorosis

OTHER WORDS FROM chlorosis

Words nearby chlorosis

Words related to chlorosis

How to use chlorosis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chlorosis

Derived forms of chlorosis

Word Origin for chlorosis

Scientific definitions for chlorosis