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¹color

noun, col·or often attributive \ˈkə-lər\

: a quality such as red, blue, green, yellow, etc., that you see when you look at something

: something used to give color to something : a pigment or dye

: the use or combination of colors

Full Definition of COLOR

a : a phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects

b (1) : the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources <the changing color of the sky>; also : a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness <comes in six colors> (2) : a color other than and as contrasted with black, white, or gray

a : an outward often deceptive show : appearance <his story has the color of truth>

b : a legal claim to or appearance of a right, authority, or office

c : a pretense offered as justification : pretext <she could have drawn from the Versailles treaty the color of legality for any action she chose — Yale Review>

d : an appearance of authenticity : plausibility <lending color to this notion>

: complexion tint:

a : the tint characteristic of good health

b : blush

a : vividness or variety of effects of language

b : local color

a : an identifying badge, pennant, or flag —usually used in plural <a ship sailing under Swedish colors>

b : colored clothing distinguishing one as a member of a particular group or representative of a particular person or thing —usually used in plural <a jockey wearing the colors of the stable>

a plural : position as to a question or course of action : stand <the USSR changed neither its colors nor its stripes during all of this — Norman Mailer>

b : character, nature —usually used in plural <showed himself in his true colors>

a : the use or combination of colors

b : two or more hues employed in a medium of presentation <movies in color>

plural

a : a naval or nautical salute to a flag being hoisted or lowered

b : armed forces

: vitality, interest <the play had a good deal of color to it>

: something used to give color : pigment

: the quality of timbre in music <the color and richness of the cello>

: skin pigmentation especially other than white characteristic of race <a person of color>

: a small particle of gold in a gold miner's pan after washing

: analysis of game action or strategy, statistics and background information on participants, and often anecdotes provided by a sportscaster to give variety and interest to the broadcast of a game or contest <a color commentator>

: a hypothetical property of quarks that differentiates each type into three forms having a distinct role in binding quarks together

See color defined for English-language learners

See color defined for kids

Origin of COLOR

Middle English colour, from Anglo-French, from Latin color; akin to Latin celare to conceal — more at hell

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to COLOR

Synonyms: cast, hue, shade, tincture, tinge, tint, tone

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

Rhymes with COLOR

cruller, culler, huller, muller, sculler

²color

verb

: to give color to (something) : to change the color of (something)

: to draw with crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc. : to fill in a shape or picture using markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.

: to change (someone's ideas, opinion, attitude, etc.) in some way

Full Definition of COLOR

transitive verb

a : to give color to

b : to change the color of (as by dyeing, staining, or painting)

: to change as if by dyeing or painting: as

a : misrepresent, distort

b : gloss, excuse <color a lie>

c : influence <the lives of most of us have been colored by politics — Christine Weston>

: characterize, label <call it progress; color it inevitable with shades of job security — C. E. Price>

intransitive verb

: to take on color; specifically : blush

— col·or·er \ˈkə-lər-ər\ noun

See color defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of COLOR

14th century

Related to COLOR

Synonyms: bepaint [archaic], dye, paint, pigment, stain, tincture, tinge, tint

Antonyms: decolorize

Rhymes with COLOR

culler, huller, sculler

COLORS Defined for Kids

¹color

noun col·or \ˈkə-lər\

Definition of COLOR for Kids

: the appearance of a thing apart from size and shape when light strikes it <Red is the color of blood.>

: skin tone as a mark of race <You cannot discriminate on the basis of color.>

: the rosy tint of a light-skinned person's face <They still looked thin and tired, but color had returned to their cheeks. — Mary Pope Osborne, Christmas in Camelot>

: ²blush 1 <Her embarrassment showed in the color rising in her face.>

colors plural : an identifying flag

: ¹interest 2 <Details added color to his story.>

²color

verb

col·oredcol·or·ing

Definition of COLOR for Kids

: to give color to

: to change the color of <She colored her hair.>

: to fill in the outlines of a shape or picture with color

: to take on or change color : blush <He colored in anger.>

: ²influence <I won't let these rumors color my opinion.>

Medical Dictionary

color

noun col·or

Medical Definition of COLOR

a : a phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects b : the aspect of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources c : a hue as contrasted with black, white, or gray

: complexion tint; especially : the tint characteristic of good health

—color or chiefly British colour adjective