etiolate

  • 1Etiolate — E ti*o*late v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Etiolated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Etiolating}.] [F. [ e]tioler to blanch.] 1. To become white or whiter; to be whitened or blanched by excluding the light of the sun, as, plants. [1913 Webster] 2. (Med.) To become pale …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2Etiolate — E ti*o*late, v. t. 1. To blanch; to bleach; to whiten by depriving of the sun s rays. [1913 Webster] 2. (Med.) To cause to grow pale by disease or absence of light …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3Etiolate — E ti*o*late, Etiolated E ti*o*la ted, a. Having a blanched or faded appearance, as birds inhabiting desert regions. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4etiolate — of plants, grown in darkness, 1791, from Fr. étiolé, pp. of étioler to blanch (17c.), perhaps lit. to become like straw, from Norman dialect étule a stalk, O.Fr. esteule straw, field of stubble, from L. stipula straw. Related: Etiolated …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5etiolate — vb decolorize, blanch, bleach, *whiten …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6etiolate — [ē′tē ə lāt΄] vt. etiolated, etiolating [Fr étioler < dial. var. of éteule, stubble, straw < OFr estouble: see STUBBLE] 1. to cause to be pale and unhealthy 2. to deprive of strength; weaken 3. Bot. to blanch or bleach by depriving of… …

    English World dictionary

  • 7etiolate — etiolation, n. /ee tee euh layt /, v., etiolated, etiolating. v.t. 1. to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow pale by excluding light: to etiolate celery. 2. to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor. v.i. 3. (of plants) to… …

    Universalium

  • 8etiolate — transitive verb ( lated; lating) Etymology: French étioler Date: 1791 1. to bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight 2. a. to make pale b. to deprive of natural vigor ; make feeble • etiolation noun …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 9etiolate — verb /ˈiːtɪəleɪt/ a) To make pale through lack of light, especially of a plant. b) To make a person pale and sickly looking …

    Wiktionary

  • 10etiolate — eti·o·late ēt ē ə .lāt vt, lat·ed; lat·ing to make pale and sickly eti·o·la·tion .ēt ē ə lā shən n …

    Medical dictionary