color

1 of 2

noun

col·​or ˈkə-lər 

plural colors

often attributive

1

a

: a phenomenon of light (such 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 (see saturation sense 4) 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

c

colors plural : clothing of a bright (see bright entry 1 sense 4) color : clothing that is neither dark nor light in color

Wash your colors separately from your darks and lights.

2

: something used to give color : pigment

3

a

: two or more hues employed in a medium of presentation

movies in color

b

: the use or combination of colors

4

: skin pigmentation other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white (see white entry 1 sense 2a)

The charges … allege that the social network discriminates based on color …

—Shawn Knight

—often used with of

… the policy of treating youthful offenders as adults falls most heavily on those of color.

—Kristin Choo

see also man of color, person of color, woman of color

5

: complexion tint:

a

: the tint characteristic of good health

… sat looking at her with wistful eyes, trying to see signs of hope in the faint color on Beth's cheeks.

—Louisa May Alcott

b

: blush

6

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

wore his college colors to the game

7

a

: character, nature

—usually used in plural

showed himself in his true colors

b

colors 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

8

a

: vividness or variety of effects of language

… that color and force of style which were later to make him outstanding among American editors …

—Arthur Krock

b

: local color

9

: vitality, interest

The play had a good deal of color to it.

10

: 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

11

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

the color for his action

d

: an appearance of authenticity : plausibility

lending color to this notion

12

colors plural

a

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

b

: armed forces

13

: the quality of timbre in music

the color and richness of the cello

14

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

15

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

color

2 of 2

verb

colored; coloring; colors

transitive verb

1

a

: to give color to

b

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

She colors her hair.

2

: to change as if by dyeing or painting: such as

a

: influence

"The lives of most of us have been colored by politics … "

—Christine Weston

b

: misrepresent, distort

a highly colored version of the facts

c

: gloss, excuse

color a lie

3

: characterize, label

… call it progress; color it inevitable with shades of job security

—C. E. Price

intransitive verb

1

: to fill in a shape or picture outlined on a piece of paper using markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.

His granddaughter Fernanda sat at his side, coloring with crayons.

—Charles Montgomery

2

: to take on color

specifically : blush

She colored at the mention of his name.

colorer

ˈkə-lər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• cast
• hue
• shade
• tincture
• tinge
• tint
• tone

Verb

• bepaint [archaic]
• dye
• paint
• pigment
• stain
• tincture
• tinge
• tint

Examples of color in a Sentence

Noun

The color of blood is red.

What color are your eyes?

What color paint shall we use?

Blue and green are my favorite colors.

The pillows are all different colors.

The room needs more color.

In early summer the garden is full of color.

She added color to her outfit with a bright scarf.

His eyes were bluish-green in color.

She's using a new lip color.

Verb

We colored the water with red ink.

The children were busy coloring in their coloring books.

My nephew colored a picture for me.

The child colored the sky blue and the sun yellow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Allies can amplify and lift the voices of those who have been historically excluded, such as women, people of color, those with disabilities or those in the LGBTQ+ community. —Julie Kratz, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

Just take your pick of 25 sheer-to-buildable hues for a comfortable nourishing pop of color—perfect for on-the-go wear or even a night out. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2024

Verb

Some follow a format while others color outside the lines; some are live takes while others come from the studio; some sound like products of their eras while others go for something timeless. —Justin Curto, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024

By the 1940s, Mr. Adams was marketing red food coloring to the masses with recipe cards for a Red Velvet Cake that his wife Betty developed. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English colour, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin color, earlier colōs "color as a physical phenomenon, pigment, complexion, appearance," probably, assuming an original meaning "covering, outermost layer, appearance," going back to *ḱel-ōs, collective derivative from an Indo-European s-stem *ḱel-os "covering" (whence perhaps Sanskrit śaras- "skin on boiled milk, cream" and, from a thematic derivative, Old High German hulisa "hull of a legume"), derivative of a verbal base *ḱel- "cover, conceal" — more at conceal

Verb

Middle English colouren, borrowed from Anglo-French colurer, going back to Latin colōrāre, derivative of color color entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing color

• a horse of a different color
• broke the color bar
• broke the color line
• change color
• color bar
• color-bearer
• color-blind
• color blindness
• color coded
• color commentator
• color-field
• color filter
• color guard
• color in
• color line
• color model
• color phase
• color scheme
• color temperature
• color wheel
• complementary color
• earth color
• false color
• for color
• in (full) color
• in living color
• local color
• man of color
• off-color
• oil color
• parti-color
• person of color
• poster color
• primary color
• r-color
• red-green color blindness
• secondary color
• tertiary color
• the color drained from someone's face
• three-color
• tone color
• turn color
• woman of color

Kids Definition

color

1 of 2 noun

col·​or ˈkəl-ər 

1

a

: an aspect of light (as red, brown, or gray) or sight that allows one to tell otherwise identical objects apart from each other

the color of blood is red

b

: the property of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and chromatic purity for objects and hue, brightness, and chromatic purity for light sources

the sky's changing color

c

: a particular combination of hue, lightness or brightness, and chromatic purity

the car comes in six colors

d

: a color other than black, white, or gray

2

: an outward and often deceiving appearance

her story has the color of truth

3

a

: skin pigmentation other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white

a person of color

does not discriminate on the basis of color

b

: the tint in a person's face indicating good health or an emotion (as embarrassment)

4

: the use or combination of colors

a painter who is a master of color

5

plural

a

: an identifying flag, badge, or pennant

a ship sailing under Swedish colors

b

: armed forces

a call to the colors

c

: a person's nature or character

showed his true colors during the crisis

6

: vitality sense 3b, interest entry 1 sense 4b

her comments added color to the broadcast

7

: something used to give color : pigment

color

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to give color to

the wind colored our cheeks

b

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

2

: misrepresent, distort

his story is colored by his prejudices

3

: to take on or change color

especially : blush

colorer noun

Medical Definition

color

noun

col·​or

variants or chiefly British colour

ˈkəl-ər 

1

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

2

: complexion tint

especially : the tint characteristic of good health

color adjective

or chiefly British colour

Legal Definition

color

noun

col·​or

: a legal claim to or appearance of a right or authority

threats that gave color to an act of self-defense

—usually used in the phrase under color of

a police officer held liable for violating the plaintiff's civil rights under color of state law

a second “search” under color of warrant

—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel