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albescent

albescent

9.9
Becoming pale and almost white in colour
  • adjective
  • /ælˈbɛsənt/
translation icon : albescent
  • The flowers are albescent at the tips, fading gently from pink to a creamy white.

Examples

  • Dawn revealed an albescent sky, hinting at the coming daylight.

  • In winter, the trees become albescent with frost.

  • As the fruit ripens, its skin becomes albescent, signaling it is ready to eat.

  • The sky turned albescent at dawn.

  • As the fruit ripens, its skin becomes albescent, signaling it is ready to eat.

  • The flowers are albescent at the tips, fading gently from pink to a creamy white.

  • In winter, the trees become albescent with frost.

Synonyms

pale
vsalbescent
291 1.0

Has very light color and often looks sick or afraid

is about gradually taking on a very light tone rather than already being low
light-colored
vsalbescent
  • US
10 2.4

Not dark in color, often pale like white

is about turning toward a softer very light shade rather than already being so
whitish
vsalbescent
4 1.6

Light in color, slightly pale like milk

is about shifting toward a very light shade rather than being fixed
pearly-white
vsalbescent
2 4.0

A very light, shiny white color like a pearl

is about gradually becoming that soft light shade not already so
alabastrine
vsalbescent
  • Literature
9.9

Having a very pale, smooth, and slightly see-through color like fine white stone

is about changing into that smooth light tone rather than already having it
dull-white
vsalbescent
4.2

A white color that is not bright or shiny

is about shifting toward that low gloss lightness rather than being already light
pale-colored
vsalbescent
2.3

Having a light color that is not bright

is about moving toward a faint light shade rather than merely being faint
pale-hued
vsalbescent
5.1

A light color that is not strong

is about becoming softly lighter rather than simply being softly colored
canescent
vsalbescent
  • Specialized
9.9

Having a light grey or whitish colour and often covered in fine pale hairs

is about shifting toward a very light shade rather than staying greyish

Antonyms

6 3.7

A change when something becomes less light in color

1 4.4

A change that makes metal, food or walls turn black

How White

white
1.0
albescent
9.9
whitish
4 1.6
off-white
1 3.0
pale
291 1.0

Surface Forms

albescent positive

Morphology

albescent = alb + escent

The word is a learned borrowing from Latin meaning 'becoming white', but its base element is not a transparent English word for most learners.

Etymology

Albescent comes from the Latin albus, 'white', and the ending -escent, 'becoming'. So albescent means 'becoming white', which helps you picture fruit, flowers, or the sky slowly turning pale.