Canities
/kəˈnɪtiz/noun
The graying or whitening of the hair, especially as a result of aging.
Did you know?Roman writers used canities for the whitening of hair, treating grayness as a visible sign of advancing age rather than a supernatural omen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“To shine or appear bright; a proposed root associated with the Latin color term canus.”
Classical Latin
Latin
canus
“White, gray, or hoary, especially when describing hair.”
Classical Latin
Latin
canities
“The whiteness or grayness of hair; gray hair associated with age.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
canities
“Grayness or whiteness of the hair, continuing the classical medical and descriptive sense.”
15th Century
English
canities
“A learned medical term for whitening or graying hair.”
Modern English
English
canities
“The condition or process of hair becoming gray or white.”
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