xanthous

English

WOTD – 18 February 2009

Etymology

By surface analysis, xanth- +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈzæn.θəs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænθəs

Adjective

xanthous (not comparable)

1. Yellow-brown; yolk-colored.
   • 1983, Dorothea Liebermann-Meffert et al., The Greater Omentum, page 131:

     Absorbent fatty xanthous histiocytes and xanthous granulations are observed in the marginal area of necrosis of the fatty tissue […]

2. (archaic, ethnology) Pertaining to people with yellowish, red, auburn, or brown hair.

   Antonyms: leucous, melanous

   • 1841, James Cowles Prichard et al., Researches Into the Physical History of Mankind, page 227:

     The xanthous variety springs up out of every black-haired race.

   • 1842, James Laurie, System of Universal Geography: Founded on the Works of Malte-Brun and Balbi‎, London: Stevenson & Co., page 106:

     […] the xanthous, or fair class, comprises those who have brown, auburn, yellow, flaxen, or red hair; […]

Related terms

• xanthic

Translations

yellow-brown

Bulgarian: жълт (bg) (žǎlt) Finnish: kellanruskea (fi) French: ocre (fr), ochracé (fr) Norwegian: gusten (no) Polish: żółtobrązowy (pl) m Russian: жёлтый (ru) (žóltyj) Spanish: ocre (es)