sallow

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæ.ləʊ/
• Rhymes: -æləʊ

Etymology 1

From Middle English salowe, from Old English salu, from Proto-Germanic *salwaz (compare Dutch zaluw, dialectal German sal), from Proto-Indo-European *solH- (compare Irish salach ‎(“dirty”), Welsh halog, Latin salīva, Russian соло́вый ‎(solóvyj, “cream-colored”)).

Adjective

sallow (comparative sallower, superlative sallowest)

1. (of skin) Yellowish.
   1. (most regions, of Caucasian skin) Of a sickly pale colour.
      • 1915, Mrs. Belloc Lowndes, The Lodger, chapter II:

        Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully furnished, and was very clean. ¶ There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

   2. (Ireland) Of a tan colour, associated with people from southern Europe or East Asia.
      • 2007, David McWilliams, "We must begin the culture debate", 23 December:

        The girls are mostly Slavic-pretty, long-limbed with high cheekbones, sallow skin and green eyes. They are the closest thing to supermodels that Mulhuddart has ever seen.

      • 2012, Aisling, "Am I pink or yellow? How to choose the right foundation tone. And what is the deal with Mac foundations?" beaut.ie (17 January):

        A yellow undertone is often found on people with sallow skin – e.g. Asian.

      • 2012, Billy Keane, "I feel so much for Mickey. Maybe there is peace for him in sport", Irish Independent (13 June):

        She had such lovely sallow skin, the handsome high cheekbones of the north with the brown conker-colour eyes and the dark silken hair.

2. Dirty; murky.

Synonyms

• (sickly pale): See also Wikisaurus:pallid

Translations

yellowish

• Czech: zažloutlý (cs)
• Finnish: kellertävä (fi), harmaankeltainen
• French: cireux (fr), jaunâtre (fr)
• Greek: ωχρός (el) m ‎(ochrós), χλωμός (el) m ‎(chlomós)
• Latin: lūridus

• Persian: زرد (fa) ‎(zard)
• Russian: земли́стый (ru) ‎(zemlístyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: odhar
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: płowy

dirty

Etymology 2

From Middle English salwe, from Old English sealh, from Proto-Germanic *salhaz, masculine variant of *salhō, *salhjōn (compare Low German Sal, Saal; Swedish sälg), from Proto-Indo-European *sh₂lk-, *sh₂lik- (compare Welsh helyg, Latin salix), probably originally a borrowing from some other language.

Noun

sallow (plural sallows)

1. A European willow, Salix caprea, that has broad leaves, large catkins and tough wood.
   • 1819, Keats, To Autumn:

     Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

     Among the river sallows, borne aloft

     Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

2. Willow twigs.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Fawkes

     Bend the pliant sallow to a shield.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Emerson

     The sallow knows the basketmaker's thumb.

Translations

Salix caprea

• Finnish: raita (fi)
• French: saule (fr) m
• Greek: ιτιά (el) f ‎(itiá)

• Russian: и́ва козья f ‎(íva kozʹja)
• Serbo-Croatian: iva (sh) f

Derived terms

• grey sallow (Salix cinerea)
• sallow flute

Anagrams

• allows