Pallidus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A descriptor for an appearance lacking in color or brightness, often associated with ill health or fragility
2. An adjective that conveys a sense of ghostliness or decay, frequently linked to emotions like sorrow or melancholy
3. Showing a pale complexion or faint coloration often linked to weakness ; giving an impression of being ghostlike or expressing deep sadness

Etymology: "Pallidus" is a Latin adjective meaning "pale" or "wan," used of a face drained of colour, of greenish or yellowish hues, and of things that look sickly or lifeless. Its root is the verb "pallere," to be pale, which also produced "pallor." The word did not start out as a poetic term for ghostliness or sorrow; the emotional sense grew from the literal sense of paleness, since a pale face has long been read as a sign of fear, illness or grief. The Latin word passed into English largely through scholarly and literary channels, and it survives mainly in adjectives and nouns that describe colour and complexion rather than mood. Its English descendant "pallid" entered the language in the 1600s, borrowed directly from the Latin, and it kept the literal meaning of lacking colour.