etiolate

verb

eti·​o·​late ˈē-tē-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce etiolate (audio)
etiolated; etiolating

transitive verb

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

Did you know?

When we first started using "etiolate" in the late 1700s (borrowed from the French verb étioler), it was in reference to purposely depriving growing celery of light. The word traces back to an Old French word for "straw" and is related to the Latin word for "straw" or "stalk," which is "stipula." Nowadays the term for growing veggies as pale as straw is now more likely to be "blanch," which can mean "to bleach (the leaves or stalks of plants) by earthing, boarding, or wrapping," among other things. "Etiolate" is more apt to refer to depriving plants in general of light; when "etiolated," they are sickly, pale, and spindly. The figurative sense of "etiolate" ("to make pallid or feeble") first appeared in the 1800s as a natural outgrowth of the original sense.

Example Sentences

the long, stressful days and sleepless nights gradually etiolated him
Recent Examples on the Web Some etiolated form of what might be called Ledeenism lingered on before taking on new life at the outset of the Trump administration. Jacob Heilbrunn, The New Republic, 23 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'etiolate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

French étioler

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of etiolate was in 1784

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near etiolate

Cite this Entry

“Etiolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiolate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Medical Definition

etiolate

transitive verb
eti·​o·​late ˈēt-ē-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce etiolate (audio)
etiolated; etiolating
: to make pale and sickly
etiolation noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


A Good Old-Fashioned Quiz

True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY