Leukoplasty
/ˌluːkəˈplæsti/noun
A type of plastid in plant cells that is colorless and often stores starch, oils, or proteins.
Did you know?Leukoplasty comes from Greek roots for “white” and “formed/molded,” and it was coined in scientific Latin to name a plastid that does its work invisibly, without color or flash.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine, be bright, white”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λευκός (leukós)
“white, bright”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλαστός (plastós)
“molded, formed”
Modern Scientific Latin
Neo-Latin
leukoplast-
“a colorless plastid”
Modern English
English
leukoplasty
“a colorless plastid in plant cells”