I. ˈēd.ēəˌlāt transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: French étioler + English -ate (v. suffix)
1. : to bleach and alter or weaken the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight
2. : to make pale and sickly
remembering how drink hardens the skin and how drugs etiolate it — Jean Stafford
3. : to rob of natural vigor : prevent or inhibit the full physical, emotional, or mental growth of (as by sheltering or pampering)
the shade of Poets' walk, a green tunnel that has etiolated so many … poets — Cyril Connolly
II. adjective
Etymology: French étioler + English -ate (adjective suffix)
: colorless , pale , etiolated