mealy
/ˈmiːli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmiːli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmē-lē/ (ame, mw)
mealy — adjective
- mealypositive
- mealiercomparative
- mealiestsuperlative
1. having a soft, dry texture that breaks into tiny dust-like bits in your mouth, t
having a soft, dry texture that breaks into tiny dust-like bits in your mouth, the way an old apple or overcooked potato can.
Maeve bit into the apple and frowned at its dry, mealy flesh.
describing the texture of fruit
The potatoes had been stored too long and tasted mealy instead of creamy.
mealy contrasted with a smoother texture
At the market, Dahlia put back the pears once she felt how mealy they were.
Christopher chewed the dry apple slice, hating how it crumbled into mealy dust.
A good baking apple stays firm, while a poor one cooks down into a mealy mush.
用法筆記
Almost always describes the texture of food, especially fruit and root vegetables. Carries a negative judgement — a mealy apple is one nobody enjoys eating.
常見錯誤
2. made from or holding ground grain such as wheat or corn, so the food feels thick
made from or holding ground grain such as wheat or corn, so the food feels thick and starchy.
The farmer mixed a mealy feed of crushed corn for the young pigs.
mealy describing animal feed made of grain
Aoi stirred the mealy porridge until the ground oats turned smooth.
Chidi ground the dried corn and stirred it into a thick, mealy paste for the dumplings.
Ravindra fed the hens a warm mash of mealy crushed wheat every morning before sunrise.
- farinaceous
formal, technical word for the same grain-based quality
- starchy
everyday word; stresses the starch rather than the grinding
用法筆記
Subject is usually a food or feed built around ground grain (mash, porridge, paste). Distinguish from sense 1, which is about an unwanted dry texture rather than grain content.
3. having skin that looks unhealthily pale, as if drained of colour by fear, shock,
having skin that looks unhealthily pale, as if drained of colour by fear, shock, or sickness.
After the long fever, Tomás had a thin, mealy face that worried his mother.
mealy describing a sickly pale face
The prisoners came out into the daylight with mealy, sunless skin.
Fear turned Élise's cheeks a mealy white as the storm closed in.
Months in the dark cell left the captain mealy and grey, like a man already half dead.
用法筆記
Literary and dated; modern writers more often say 'pale' or 'pallid'. Often paired with words of illness or fear to explain why the colour has gone.