Albescent
/ælˈbɛsənt/noun
Becoming or tending to become white or whitish.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor uses an inchoative suffix meaning “beginning to,” so albescent describes whiteness in the process of appearing, not merely a fixed color.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂elbʰós
“White; pale-colored”
Classical Latin
Latin
albus
“White or bright”
Classical Latin
Latin
albescere
“To become white or grow pale”
Late Latin
Latin
albescens
“Becoming white; whitening”
17th Century
English
albescent
“Becoming white or whitish, especially in scientific description”
Modern English
English
albescent
“Pale, whitish, or tending toward whiteness”