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lactescence

 - 3 dictionary results

lac⋅tes⋅cent

  [lak-tes-uhnt]
Use lactescence in a Sentence
–adjective
1. becoming or being milky.
2. Botany, Entomology. secreting or producing a milky juice.
Origin:
1660–70; < L lactēscent- (s. of lactēscēns), prp. of lactēscere to turn into milk, produce milk. See lact-, -escent

Related forms:
lac⋅tes⋅cence, lac⋅tes⋅cen⋅cy, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To lactescence
lac·tes·cent   (lāk-těs'ənt)   
adj.  

  1. Becoming milky.

  2. Milky.

  3. Biology Secreting or yielding a milky juice, as certain plants and insects.


[Latin lactēscēns, lactēscent-, present participle of lactēscere, inchoative of lactēre, to be milky, from lac, lact-, milk; see melg- in Indo-European roots.]
lac·tes'cence n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

lactescent lac·tes·cent (lāk-těs'ənt)
adj.

  1. Becoming milky.

  2. Milky.

  3. Secreting or yielding a milky juice, as certain plants and insects.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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