flav(o)-
Yellow or yellow-tinted.
[Latin flavus, yellow.]
Something flavescent is yellowish or turning yellow; flavin is a yellow dye made from the bark of a North American oak tree; a flavoprotein is a protein containing flavin that takes part in cell respiration and metabolism; flavone is a colourless crystalline compound which is the basis of a number of white or yellow plant pigments; flavonoids are compounds related to flavone that, despite their name, include most of those that give flowers their red and blue colours; it has been suggested their presence in food helps to maintain health.
Visit Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words site for 2000+ articles on English!
Copyright © Michael Quinion 2008–. All rights reserved. Page last updated 23 September 2008.
Your comments and suggestions on the site are very welcome.