etiolate Hear it!

etiolate Definition

etio·late (ē′tē ə lāt′)

transitive verb -·lat′ed, -·lat′·ing

  1. to cause to be pale and unhealthy
  2. to deprive of strength; weaken
  3. Bot. to blanch or bleach by depriving of sunlight

Etymology: Fr étioler < dial. var. of éteule, stubble, straw < OFr estouble: see stubble

etiolate Related Forms

e′tio·la′·tion noun

etiolate Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

slightly: Basketball players often grow into their length, tend to look slightly etiolated in their youth, green and lately sprung.