mealy
Meaning
resembling or containing meal; having a soft, dry, and crumbly texture like flour or meal.
(of a complexion) pale and unhealthy-looking, lacking color or vitality.
Structure
Usage
the baked potato had a dry, mealy texture that was rather unappetizing.
his face was mealy and wan after the long illness.
overripe pears often become unpleasantly mealy.
Etymology
the word 'mealy' is a straightforward english formation, built upon the old english noun 'melu,' meaning "meal" or "flour," which traces back to the proto-germanic root melwą. the suffix '-y,' of germanic origin, is a prolific adjective-forming element meaning "characterized by" or "having the quality of." the literal sense, "resembling or consisting of meal," emerged from the direct combination of these elements, describing a dry, soft, and granular texture. this primary meaning was later extended metaphorically to describe complexions that appear pale, powdery, and lacking in healthy color, drawing a visual analogy to the pallor of flour.
Analysis
meal (old english, from proto-germanic melwą, meaning "ground grain" or "flour") + y (old english, from proto-germanic -igaz, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "characterized by" or "full of").