Dictionary.com

etiolate

[ ee-tee-uh-leyt ]
/ ˈi ti əˌleɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: etiolate / etiolated / etiolation on Thesaurus.com
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of etiolate

First recorded in 1785–95; <French étioler “to make pale, etiolate (plants),” probably derivative of a Norman French dialect form of standard French éteule, Old French estoble, estuble stubble; see -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM etiolate

e·ti·o·la·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to etiolate

blanch, bleach, diminish, enervate, exhaust, fade, faint, pale, sicken, wan, whiten

How to use etiolate in a sentence

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 forms of etiolate

etiolation, 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK