Albicant

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈalbɪkənt/

Definitions

1. Turning white or becoming pale in color or appearance
2. Taking on a lighter or more whitish hue
3. Exhibiting a gradual whitening or paling effect

Etymology: "Albicant" is a rare adjective meaning turning pale or white, and it comes straight from Latin. The Latin "albicāns" means "whitening" or "becoming white," and it is the present participle of "albicō," a verb meaning "to be white." English took the word in directly from that Latin form, so the ending keeps the participle's shape rather than being adapted through French. The root behind the Latin verb is "albus," meaning "white," which also gave English words such as "albino" and "albumen." Latin writers built a whole family of verbs and adjectives on that colour word, and "albicant" is one of the more specialised branches of it. Its meaning is literal and visual: it describes something in the process of losing colour or growing white, such as a leaf or a fading surface, rather than anything abstract.