Albescent

Origin

From Latin albescens, present participle of albescere ("to grow white"), from albus ("white")

Full definition of albescent

Adjective

1. Becoming white or whitish; moderately white.
• 1726, , The British Apollo: containing two thousand answers to curious questions in most arts and sciences, serious, comical, and humorous, approved of by many of the most learned and ingenious of both universities, and of the Royal-Society Chapter , This proceedeth from the variety of air (commonly found in islands) which sometimes being moist, sullies and renders the cornelian pale or albescent, after the manner of glass, which when breath'd upon, is clouded with a pale whitish colour, but upon change to a drier air, which will often happen in a moment, the cornelian recovers its former brisk red colour.