Canities

/kəˈnɪʃiːz/ noun

Definition

A medical condition causing premature graying or whitening of the hair, or grayness of the hair itself.

Etymology

From Latin 'canitia', derived from 'canus' meaning white or gray. The Romans used this term to describe the whitening of hair that comes with age or prematurely due to disease or stress.

Kelly Says

In Latin, 'canities' was considered connected to old age or sorrow, so when Romans saw someone's hair turning gray too young, they might blame stress or grief—and modern science shows they weren't entirely wrong!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.