ETIOLATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does etiolation mean? 

• ETIOLATION (noun)
  The noun ETIOLATION has 3 senses:

1. a pale and sickly appearance

2. the act of weakening by stunting the growth or development of something

3. (botany) the act of causing a plant to develop without chlorophyll by growing it without exposure to sunlight

  Familiarity information: ETIOLATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ETIOLATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A pale and sickly appearance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

his etiolation signaled years in prison

Hypernyms ("etiolation" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Derivation:

etiolate (make pale or sickly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of weakening by stunting the growth or development of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the etiolation of the critical tradition

Hypernyms ("etiolation" is a kind of...):

weakening (the act of reducing the strength of something)

Derivation:

etiolate (make weak by stunting the growth or development of)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(botany) the act of causing a plant to develop without chlorophyll by growing it without exposure to sunlight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the etiolation of celery

Hypernyms ("etiolation" is a kind of...):

bleach (the act of whitening something by bleaching it (exposing it to sunlight or using a chemical bleaching agent))

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Derivation:

etiolate (bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight)