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lanuginous
Jun. 21st, 2017 07:45 amlanuginous (luh-NYOO-juh-nohs) - adj., covered with fine soft hairs, downy.
Lanugo is the soft woolly hair that covers the fetus of some mammals, but this adjectival form covers any downiness. It's most often used in botany (and spelling bees) as elsewhere we already have the excellent word downy. Adopted in the 16th century from Latin lānūginōsus, from lānūgō, down/wool -- and so also the root of lanolin, wool-grease.
---L.
Lanugo is the soft woolly hair that covers the fetus of some mammals, but this adjectival form covers any downiness. It's most often used in botany (and spelling bees) as elsewhere we already have the excellent word downy. Adopted in the 16th century from Latin lānūginōsus, from lānūgō, down/wool -- and so also the root of lanolin, wool-grease.
---L.
