adjective · rare

etiolated

eti·o·lat·ed

etiolated · more etiolated · most etiolated

Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or…Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or excessive exposure to sunlight.

/ˈiː.tɪ.ə(ʊ).leɪ.tɪd/

Meaning

4 senses

Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or excessive exposure to sunlight.
Of a plant: intentionally grown in the dark.
(broadly)Of an animal or person: having an ashen or pale appearance; also, haggard or thin; physically weak.
Birds inhabiting desert regions have an etiolated appearance.
(figuratively)Lacking in vigour; anemic, feeble.

More definitions

(especially of plants) developed without chlorophyll by being deprived of light

Origin

From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives); modelled after French étiolé, the past pa

From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives); modelled after French étiolé, the past participle of étioler (“to become pale and weak, etiolate”), from Norman étieuler (“to become plant stalks left over after harvesting to be used as fodder or for thatching”), probably from éteule (“plant stalks left over after harvesting, stubble”) + -er (suffix forming verbs). Éteule is derived from Old French esteule (“straw”), from Latin stipula (“plant stalk; plant stalk left over after harvesting, stubble; straw”), from Proto-Italic *stipelā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steyp- (“to be stiff; erect”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source