ETIOLATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does etiolate mean? 

• ETIOLATE (adjective)
  The adjective ETIOLATE has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: ETIOLATE used as an adjective is very rare.

• ETIOLATE (verb)
  The verb ETIOLATE has 3 senses:

1. make weak by stunting the growth or development of

2. bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight

3. make pale or sickly

  Familiarity information: ETIOLATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ETIOLATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

blanched; etiolate; etiolated

Context example:

etiolated celery

Similar:

colorless; colourless (weak in color; not colorful)

Domain category:

flora; plant; plant life ((botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

• ETIOLATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they etiolate    ... he / she / it etiolates   
Past simple: etiolated   
Past participle: etiolated   
-ing form: etiolating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make weak by stunting the growth or development of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "etiolate" is one way to...):

weaken (lessen the strength of)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

etiolation (the act of weakening by stunting the growth or development of something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "etiolate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Domain category:

flora; plant; plant life ((botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

etiolation ((botany) the act of causing a plant to develop without chlorophyll by growing it without exposure to sunlight)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make pale or sickly

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

alcohol etiolates your skin

Hypernyms (to "etiolate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

etiolation (a pale and sickly appearance)

 Context examples 

Next morning I had the pleasure of encountering him; left a bullet in one of his poor etiolated arms, feeble as the wing of a chicken in the pip, and then thought I had done with the whole crew.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)