Lanuginous describes something covered with down or fine soft hair, commonly used in botany. The word comes from the Latin 'lanuginosus', from 'lanugo' (down), which in turn comes from 'lana' (wool).
Lanuginoso describe algo cubierto de pelusa o vello suave y fino, comúnmente en botánica. La palabra deriva del latín 'lanuginosus', de 'lanugo' (pelusa), que a su vez proviene de 'lana' (lana).
| Word | lanuginous |
|---|---|
| Date | May 9, 2017 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | luh-NOO-juh-nus |
| Etymology | You're likely to come across lanuginous in only a few contexts, botany and spelling bees being the best candidates. In other contexts, the more common term is downy. Lanuginous has an unsurprising pedigree. It's from the Latin word lanuginosus, which is in turn from lanugo, the Latin word for "down." (Lanugo is also an English word used especially to refer to the soft woolly hair that covers the fetus of some mammals.) Lanugo itself is from lana, meaning "wool," a root also at work in lanolin, the term for wool grease that's refined for use in ointments and cosmetics. |
| Examples | At the base of the mullein's tall spire is a cluster of large lanuginous leaves. The scent [of erica, South African heather] is subtle, woody, coniferous—it smells of hot origins. And it's ridiculously tactile: I have to keep prodding the lanuginous bobbles. — Helen Brown, The Independent (UK), 23 Nov. 2006 |
| Definition | : covered with down or fine soft hair |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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