glaucous
pronunciation
How to pronounce glaucous in British English:
UK ['glɔ:kəs]
How to pronounce glaucous in American English:
US ['glɔkəs]
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- Adjective:
- having a frosted look from a powdery coating, as on plants
Word Origin
- glaucous (adj.)
- "dull bluish-green, gray," 1670s, from Latin glaucus "bright, sparkling, gleaming," also "bluish-green," of uncertain origin, from Greek glaukos, a word used in Homer of the sea as "gleaming, silvery" (apparently without a color connotation); used by later writers with a sense of "greenish" (of olive leaves) and "blue, gray" (of eyes). Homer's glauk-opis Athene probably originally was a "bright-eyed," not a "gray-eyed" goddess. Greek for "owl" was glaux from its bright, staring eyes. Middle English had glauk "bluish-green, gray" (early 15c.).
Example
- 1. Leaf blade ovate to narrowly ovate , abaxially glaucous .
- 2. Any of various plants of the genus zigadenus having glaucous leaves and terminal racemes of mostly white flowers ; all are poisonous .
- 3. Laurel of bogs of northwestern united states having small purple flowers and pale leaves that are glaucous beneath .
- 4. Abaxial surface of leaves with powder , grayish white or glaucous green .
- 5. Leaf blade abaxially pubescent ; drupe often glaucous .