canecer

A literary, somewhat archaic synonym of encanecer — to turn grey or white-haired with age. It appears occasionally in older or elevated prose but has been almost entirely displaced by encanecer in everyday speech.

• Sus cabellos empezaban a canecer con los años. — His hair was beginning to turn grey with the years.
• El anciano había canecido hacía tiempo. — The old man had gone grey long ago.
• Canece pronto quien vive con tanta preocupación. — Whoever lives with so much worry goes grey early.

This is a literary word a learner will rarely need to produce themselves — encanecer is the standard modern verb for the same idea and is what you should default to in ordinary speech and writing.

Often confused with encanecer.