etiolated

etiolated · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*steyp-“to be stiff; erect”
2. Proto-Italic · derived from*stipelā
3. Latin · derived fromstipula“plant stalk; plant stalk left over after harvesting, stubble; straw”
4. Old French · derived fromesteule“straw”
5. Norman · derived frométieuler“to become plant stalks left over after harvesting to be used as fodder or for thatching”
6. French · derived frométiolé
7. English todayetiolated

From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives); modelled after French étiolé, the past participle of étioler (“to become pale and weak, etiolate”), from Norman étieuler (“to become plant stalks left over after harvesting to be used as fodder or for thatching”), probably from éteule (“plant stalks left over after harvesting, stubble”) + -er (suffix forming verbs). Éteule is derived from Old French esteule (“straw”), from Latin stipula (“plant stalk; plant stalk left over after harvesting, stubble; straw”), from Proto-Italic *stipelā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steyp- (“to be stiff; erect”).

etiolated · verb²

From etiolate + -ed (suffix forming verbs).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from mid 18th c. Of a plant or part of a plant: pale and weak because of sunlight deprivation or excessive exposure to sunlight.