pallor

American  

[pal-er] / ˈpæl ər /

noun

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

---

pallor British  

/ ˈpælə /

noun

1. a pale condition, esp when unnatural

   fear gave his face a deathly pallor

---

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

If you know anything about Burton’s movies, you know that they tend to feature characters who embody all the qualities of a sickly Victorian-era child: waifish, sunken doe-eye and gaunt faces with a deathlike pallor.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2024

Such is the pallor of grisly discoveries in Northern Ireland.

From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024

“Remedio had the opportunity to watch and see, would the pallor disappear? Could the course reverse?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2024

Even miles outside the perimeter, many businesses in Maine's south opted for a self-imposed shutdown, casting an eerie pallor over the state.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2023

Then her husband turned to her wan-eyed and with a greenish pallor which subdued the snowy whiteness of his hair, and asked:—

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker