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Etiolated

//ˈiː.tɪ.ə(ʊ).leɪ.tɪd// adj, verb

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or excessive exposure to sunlight.
"[T]he external leaves which enjoy the light are perfectly green, while those within, naturally or artificially covered up and involved in darkness, are blanched or etiolated; they are thereby rendered white, soft, delicate, and tender, and lose the taste and flavour of the native plant in its green state, or retain these very slightly."
2
Of a plant: intentionally grown in the dark.
"It is a fact well known to gardeners, that plants, when blanched, lose many of their active properties; and dandelion thus prepared, is frequently eaten on the continent in salads; [...] The French eat the young roots, and the etiolated leaves, with thin slices of bread and butter; [...]"
3
Of an animal or person: having an ashen or pale appearance; also, haggard or thin; physically weak. broadly
"Birds inhabiting desert regions have an etiolated appearance."
4
Lacking in vigour; anemic, feeble. figuratively
"I am concerned about Joe Bloggs, the ordinary bloke on the shop floor. Whatever esoteric phraseology the Government use and whatever etiolated formulae the Government give birth to, they will not persuade me that if Joe Bloggs can not get an increase which he is claiming because he is prevented from claiming it, that is a statutory policy, whereas if Joe Bloggs can not get the increase he is claiming because his employer is statutorily forbidden to give it to him, that is not a statutory policy. That is nonsense."

Adjective

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

Verb

1
simple past and past participle of etiolate form-of, participle, past

Etymology

Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming verbs).

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