lactescent

adjective

lac·​tes·​cent
(ˈ)lak¦tesᵊnt
1
: becoming or appearing milky
2
a
: secreting milk
b
: yielding a milky juice
used of a plant

Word History

Etymology

Latin lactescent-, lactescens, present participle of lactescere to turn to milk, inchoative of lactēre to be milky, from lact-, lac milk

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Cite this Entry

“Lactescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lactescent. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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