color

[kuhl-er] /ˈkʌl ər/
noun
1.
the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma; hue.
2.
the natural appearance of the skin, especially of the face; complexion:
She has a lovely color.
3.
a ruddy complexion:
The wind and sun had given color to the sailor's face.
4.
a blush:
His remarks brought the color to her face.
5.
vivid or distinctive quality, as of a literary work:
Melville's description of a whaling voyage is full of color.
6.
details in description, customs, speech, habits, etc., of a place or period:
The novel takes place in New Orleans and contains much local color.
7.
something that is used for coloring; pigment; paint; tint; dye.
8.
background information, as anecdotes about players or competitors or analyses of plays, strategy, or performance, given by a sportscaster to heighten interest in a sportscast.
9.
colors.
  1. any distinctive color or combination or pattern of colors, especially of a badge, ribbon, uniform, or the like, worn or displayed as a symbol of or to identify allegiance to, membership in, or sponsorship by a school, group, or organization.
  2. nature, viewpoint, or attitude; character; personality:
    His behavior in a crisis revealed his true colors.
  3. a flag, ensign, etc., particularly the national flag.
  4. U.S. Navy. the ceremony of hoisting the national flag at 8 a.m. and of lowering it at sunset.
10.
skin complexion of a particular people or ethnic group, especially when other than white: a person of color; people of color; a man of color; alumni of color; children of color.
11.
outward appearance or aspect; guise or show:
It was a lie, but it had the color of the truth.
12.
a pretext:
She did it under the color of doing a good deed.
13.
Painting. the general use or effect of the pigments in a picture.
14.
Phonetics, timbre.
15.
Chiefly Law. an apparent or prima facie right or ground:
to hold possession under color of title.
16.
Music. tone color.
17.
a trace or particle of valuable mineral, especially gold, as shown by washing auriferous gravel.
18.
Physics. any of the labels red, green, or blue that designate the three states in which quarks are expected to exist, or any of the corresponding labels for antiquark states.
Compare quantum chromodynamics, quark model.
19.
Printing. the amount of ink used.
20.
Heraldry. a tincture other than a fur or metal, usually including gules, azure, vert, sable, and purpure.
adjective
21.
involving, utilizing, yielding, or possessing color:
a color TV.
verb (used with object)
22.
to give or apply color to; tinge; paint; dye:
She colored her hair dark red.
23.
to cause to appear different from the reality:
In order to influence the jury, he colored his account of what had happened.
24.
to give a special character or distinguishing quality to:
His personal feelings color his writing.
verb (used without object)
25.
to take on or change color:
The ocean colored at dawn.
26.
to flush; blush:
He colored when confronted with the incriminating evidence.
Idioms
27.
call to the colors, to summon for service in the armed forces:
Thousands are being called to the colors.
28.
change color,
  1. to blush as from embarrassment.
  2. to turn pale, as from fear:
    When he saw the size of his opponent, he changed color.
29.
with flying colors. flying colors.
Also, especially British, colour.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English col(o)ur < Anglo-French (French couleur) < Latin colōr- (stem of color) hue
Related forms
colorer, noun
overcolor, verb
precolor, noun, verb
recolor, verb (used with object)
transcolor, adjective
undercolor, noun
Can be confused
color, hue, shade, tint (see synonym study at shade)
Synonyms
23. bias, twist.
Usage note
See black.

color.

1.
(in prescriptions) let it be colored.
Origin
< Latin colōrētur
Examples from the web for color
  • We humans are mesmerized by melanin, the pigment that gives color to our skin, but almost always for quite the wrong reasons.
  • Choose one of our favorites for dramatic fall color in your garden.
  • Many eco-friendly homes have standing-seam metal roofs, which are low maintenance and light in color and also reflect the sun.
  • By choosing smaller projects, she gets to experiment without committing an entire room to a single color or pattern.
  • Once you have chosen a garment, selecting your choice of color and size is incredibly frustrating.
  • Leaving commas out of long, complex sentences is a horse of another color.
  • Tomorrow's will be better than paper, with a high-resolution screen that also supports color and video of course.
  • The major drawback of kindle is that it has no color, and many books are not yet available.
  • Shellfish are optional, but always add glamour and color if you wish to include them.
  • The stable housed horses-some of a different color-with carts before them.
British Dictionary definitions for color

color

/ˈkʌlə/
noun, verb
1.
the US spelling of colour
Derived Forms
colorable, adjective
colorer, noun
colorful, adjective
coloring, noun
colorist, noun
colorless, adjective

colour

/ˈkʌlə/
noun
1.
  1. an attribute of things that results from the light they reflect, transmit, or emit in so far as this light causes a visual sensation that depends on its wavelengths
  2. the aspect of visual perception by which an observer recognizes this attribute
  3. the quality of the light producing this aspect of visual perception
  4. (as modifier): colour vision
2.
Also called chromatic colour
  1. a colour, such as red or green, that possesses hue, as opposed to achromatic colours such as white or black
  2. (as modifier): a colour television, a colour film Compare black-and-white (sense 2)
3.
a substance, such as a dye, pigment, or paint, that imparts colour to something
4.
  1. the skin complexion of a person, esp as determined by his race
  2. (as modifier): colour prejudice, colour problem
5.
the use of all the hues in painting as distinct from composition, form, and light and shade
6.
the quantity and quality of ink used in a printing process
7.
the distinctive tone of a musical sound; timbre
8.
vividness, authenticity, or individuality: period colour
9.
semblance or pretext (esp in the phrases take on a different colour, under colour of)
10.
(US) a precious mineral particle, esp gold, found in auriferous gravel
11.
(physics) one of three characteristics of quarks, designated red, blue, or green, but having no relationship with the physical sensation
verb
12.
to give or apply colour to (something)
13.
(transitive) to give a convincing or plausible appearance to (something, esp to that which is spoken or recounted): to colour an alibi
14.
(transitive) to influence or distort (something, esp a report or opinion): anger coloured her judgment
15.
(intransitive) often foll by up. to become red in the face, esp when embarrassed or annoyed
16.
(intransitive) (esp of ripening fruit) to change hue
See also colours
Word Origin
C13: from Old French colour from Latin color tint, hue
Word Origin and History for color
n.

early 13c., "skin color, complexion," from Old French color "color, complexion, appearance" (Modern French couleur), from Latin color "color of the skin; color in general, hue; appearance," from Old Latin colos, originally "a covering" (akin to celare "to hide, conceal"), from PIE root *kel- "to cover, conceal" (see cell).

For sense evolution, cf. Sanskrit varnah "covering, color," related to vrnoti "covers," and also see chroma. Meaning "visible color, color of something" is attested in English from c.1300. As "color as a property of things," from late 14c. Old English words for "color" were hiw ("hue"), bleo.

v.

late 14c.; see color (n.); earliest use is figurative. Related: Colored; coloring.

color in Medicine

color col·or (kŭl'ər)
n.

  1. That aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be specified in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation.

  2. That portion of the visible electromagnetic spectrum specified in terms of wavelength, luminosity, and purity.

  3. The general appearance of the skin.

  4. The skin pigmentation of a person not classified as white.

color in Science
color
  (kŭl'ər)   

  1. The sensation produced by the effect of light waves striking the retina of the eye. The color of something depends mainly on which wavelengths of light it emits, reflects, or transmits.

  2. Color charge. See also hadron.


Our Living Language  : When beams of colored light are mixed, or added, their wavelengths combine to form other colors. All spectral colors can be formed by mixing wavelengths corresponding to the additive primaries red, green, and blue. When two of the additive primaries are mixed in equal proportion, they form the complement of the third. Thus cyan (a mixture of green and blue) is the complement of red; magenta (a mixture of blue and red) is the complement of green; and yellow (a mixture of red and green) is the complement of blue. Mixing the three additive primaries in equal proportions reconstitutes white light. When light passes through a color filter, certain wavelengths are absorbed, or subtracted, while others are transmitted. The subtractive primaries cyan, magenta, and yellow can be combined using overlapping filters to form all other colors. When two of the subtractive primaries are combined in equal proportion, they form the additive primary whose wavelength they share. Thus overlapping filters of cyan (blue and green) and magenta (blue and red) filter out all wavelengths except blue; magenta (blue and red) and yellow (red and green) transmit only red; and yellow (red and green) and cyan (blue and green) transmit only green. Combining all three subtractive primaries in equal proportions filters out all wavelengths, producing black. Light striking a colored surface behaves similarly to light passing through a filter, with certain wavelengths being absorbed and others reflected. Pigments are combined to form different colors by a process of subtractive absorption of various wavelengths.
Slang definitions & phrases for color

color

noun

Interesting background, esp details about players, etc, as used in sports coverage •A scholar in the mid-1920s wrote of color stuff as the enlivening human interest and spicy, inventive language used by sports writers to avoid mere facts: doing color, spoke of a shot put up by one of the players by calling it ''a Perot hook'': in, out, and in/ I told him I need some color for a magazine piece I'm doing (1938+ Media)

Related Terms

off color


color in Technology


colour

Idioms and Phrases with color

color

In addition to the idiom beginning with
color
also see: