sallow

1
[ sal-oh ]
/ ˈsæl oʊ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sallow ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sal·low·er, sal·low·est.

of a sickly, yellowish or lightish brown color: sallow cheeks; a sallow complexion.

verb (used with object)

to make sallow.

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earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of sallow

1
before 1000; Middle English sal(o)we, Old English salo; cognate with Old Norse sǫlr yellow; compare French sale dirty (< Gmc)

OTHER WORDS FROM sallow

sal·low·ish, adjectivesal·low·ness, noun

Words nearby sallow

salk vaccine, salle à manger, sallee, sallenders, sallet, sallow, sallowy, sallust, sally, sally army, sally lunn

Definition for sallow (2 of 2)

sallow2
[ sal-oh ]
/ ˈsæl oʊ /

noun British.

any of several shrubby Old World willows, especially Salix atrocinerea or the pussy willow, S. caprea.

Origin of sallow

2
before 900; Middle English; Old English sealh; cognate with Old High German salaha, Latin salix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sallow

pasty, wan, muddy, jaundiced, dull, anemic, ashen, colorless, pallid, waxy, yellowish, ashy, bilious

Example sentences from the Web for sallow

British Dictionary definitions for sallow (1 of 2)

sallow1
/ (ˈsæləʊ) /

adjective

(esp of human skin) of an unhealthy pale or yellowish colour

verb

(tr) to make sallow

Derived forms of sallow

sallowish, adjectivesallowly, adverbsallowness, noun

Word Origin for sallow

Old English salu; related to Old Norse sol seaweed (Icelandic sōlr yellowish), Old High German salo, French sale dirty

British Dictionary definitions for sallow (2 of 2)

sallow2
/ (ˈsæləʊ) /

noun

any of several small willow trees, esp the Eurasian Salix cinerea (common sallow), which has large catkins that appear before the leaves
a twig or the wood of any of these trees

Derived forms of sallow

sallowy, adjective

Word Origin for sallow

Old English sealh; related to Old Norse selja, Old High German salaha, Middle Low German salwīde, Latin salix
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

Medical definitions for sallow

sallow
[ săl′ō ]

adj.

Of a sickly yellowish hue or complexion.

v.

To make sallow.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.