leprose
adjUS /ˈlɛproʊz/ · UK /ˈlɛprəʊz/
Etymology From New Latin leprōsus in botany especially as used by Linnaeus in his 1753 Species Plantarum and Late Latin leprōsus in medicine, from lepra (“psoriasis, leprosy”) + -ōsus, from Koine Greek λέπρᾱ (léprā, “psoriasis & similar skin diseases”), from Ancient Greek λεπρός (leprós, “scaly”), from either λεπίς (lepís, “scale”) or λέπος (lépos, “husk, scale”) + -ρος (-ros, “forming adjective”).
1
Medicine, Sciences Synonym of leprous, afflicted with leprosy.
2
Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Synonym of scaly or lepidote, particularly describing lichens with a granular or powdery thallus.
- A small section of the genus, including T. Usneoides of the United States, presents a filiform and diffusely dichotomous stem with alternate and filiform leprose leaves.1818, Thomas Nuttall, Genera of North American Plants..., volume I, page 208:
- Derived terms
- leprosery