etiolate
[ ee-tee-uh-leyt ]
/ ˈi ti əˌleɪt /
verb (used with object), e·ti·o·lat·ed, e·ti·o·lat·ing.
to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow pale by excluding light: to etiolate celery.
to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor.
verb (used without object), e·ti·o·lat·ed, e·ti·o·lat·ing.
(of plants) to whiten or grow pale through lack of light.
Nearby words
ethynyl group, ethynylation, eti, etic, etidronate disodium, etiolate, etiolation, etiologic, etiology, etiquette, etna
Origin of etiolate
Related formse·ti·o·la·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for etiolate
I can not believe that, to produce one roseate complexion, she must etiolate a thousand.
The Book of Khalid|Ameen Rihani
British Dictionary definitions for etiolate
etiolate
/ (ˈiːtɪəʊˌleɪt) /
verb
botany to whiten (a green plant) through lack of sunlight
to become or cause to become pale and weak, as from malnutrition
Derived Formsetiolation, noun
Word Origin for etiolate
C18: from French étioler to make pale, probably from Old French estuble straw, from Latin stipula
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for etiolate
etiolate
of plants, "grown in darkness," 1791, from French étiolé, past participle of étioler "to blanch" (17c.), perhaps literally "to become like straw," from Norman dialect étule "a stalk," Old French esteule "straw, field of stubble," from Latin stipula "straw." Related: Etiolated.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for etiolate
etiolation
[ ē′tē-ə-lā′shən ]
A pathological condition of plants that grow in places that provide insufficient light, as under stones. It is characterized by elongated stems and pale color due to lack of chlorophyll.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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