canescent

C3A1N1E1S1C3E1N1T1
UK/kəˈnɛsənt/

adjective

Turning white or gray.

Similar
achromaticneutralhoaryhairyhairedhirsute
OriginLatin canescens →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectivecanescent (comparative more canescent, superlative most canescent)

comparative more canescent · superlative most canescent

  1. Turning white or gray.

    An aureole of canescent hair fanned out round his head, and his jaws collapsed on toothless gums […].

    1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 434
  2. biologyCovered with short white or gray hairs; hoary.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveof greyish white

Similar
achromaticneutral

adjectivecovered with fine whitish hairs or down

Similar
hoaryhairyhairedhirsute
Also see
hairedhairyhirsutehoary

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincanescens
  2. Englishcanescent

From Latin canescens, present participle of canescere (“to become gray or white”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

canescent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canescent

MLA

“canescent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canescent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “canescent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canescent.

Source: canescent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.