Mollescent
/məˈlɛsənt/noun
Becoming soft or gradually losing firmness.
Did you know?Mollescent ultimately descends from Latin mollis, “soft,” the same root behind mollify—a word that originally meant to soften or soothe someone’s anger.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“Soft, gentle, or tender; a reconstructed root associated with loosening or softening.”
Classical Latin
Latin
mollis
“Soft, yielding, tender, or gentle.”
Classical Latin
Latin
mollescere
“To become soft or grow gentle; the inchoative form of mollire, “to soften.””
17th Century
English
mollescent
“Beginning to become soft; entering a softened condition.”
Modern English
English
mollescent
“Gradually becoming soft, less rigid, or more yielding.”