leprose

See also: léprosé

English

B. albogranulosa, a lichen with leprose thalli (Figs. D, E, and F).

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”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛproʊz/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛprəʊz/, /ˈlɛprəʊs/

Adjective

leprose (comparative more leprose, superlative most leprose)

1. (medicine) Synonym of leprous, afflicted with leprosy.
2. (botany) Synonym of scaly or lepidote, particularly describing lichens with a granular or powdery thallus.
   • 1818, Thomas Nuttall, Genera of North American Plants..., volume I, page 208:

     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.

References

• “leprose, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.
• “lepra, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.
• “leprose”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• elopers, Proesel, Lepores

Italian

Adjective

leprose

1. feminine plural of leproso

Anagrams

• esporle, presole, spelerò

Latin

Adjective

leprōse

1. vocative masculine singular of leprōsus