Piebaldness
/ˈpaɪˌbɔːldnəs/noun
The state or condition of being piebald, especially having irregular patches of two colors, usually black and white.
Did you know?The second element in *piebald* is the same old Germanic word as *bald* in the sense of “white, spotted,” not the modern word for hairlessness, so the term originally described a patchwork coat rather than a lack of hair.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
pie-bald
“Patchy or spotted, especially of an animal's coat.”
Early Modern English
English
piebald
“Having irregular patches of black and white or other colors.”
Modern English
English
piebaldness
“The condition or quality of being piebald.”
Old English
OE
pīe
“Magpie; a black-and-white bird, source of the color sense in piebald.”
Old English
OE
bald
“White, spotted, or patchy in color.”