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I am a great lover of art, in many forms: paintings, objets, textiles. I don’t have the talent for painting, but I have a very good sense of colour, a love of visual beauty.
Jacqueline Bisset
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD COLOUR
From Old French colour from Latin color tint, hue.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF COLOUR
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF COLOUR
Colour is a verb and can also act as a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.
See the conjugation of the verb colour in English.
WHAT DOES COLOUR MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, blue, yellow, green and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors. Color categories and physical specifications of color are also associated with objects or materials based on their physical properties such as light absorption, reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a color space, colors can be identified numerically by their coordinates. Because perception of color stems from the varying spectral sensitivity of different types of cone cells in the retina to different parts of the spectrum, colors may be defined and quantified by the degree to which they stimulate these cells. These physical or physiological quantifications of color, however, do not fully explain the psychophysical perception of color appearance. The science of color is sometimes called chromatics, chromatography, colorimetry, or simply color science.
Definition of colour in the English dictionary
The first definition of colour in the dictionary is 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. Other definition of colour is the aspect of visual perception by which an observer recognizes this attribute. Colour is also the quality of the light producing this aspect of visual perception.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO COLOUR
PRESENT
Present
I colour
you colour
he/she/it colours
we colour
you colour
they colour
Present continuous
I am colouring
you are colouring
he/she/it is colouring
we are colouring
you are colouring
they are colouring
Present perfect
I have coloured
you have coloured
he/she/it has coloured
we have coloured
you have coloured
they have coloured
Present perfect continuous
I have been colouring
you have been colouring
he/she/it has been colouring
we have been colouring
you have been colouring
they have been colouring
Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.
PAST
Past
I coloured
you coloured
he/she/it coloured
we coloured
you coloured
they coloured
Past continuous
I was colouring
you were colouring
he/she/it was colouring
we were colouring
you were colouring
they were colouring
Past perfect
I had coloured
you had coloured
he/she/it had coloured
we had coloured
you had coloured
they had coloured
Past perfect continuous
I had been colouring
you had been colouring
he/she/it had been colouring
we had been colouring
you had been colouring
they had been colouring
Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,
FUTURE
Future
I will colour
you will colour
he/she/it will colour
we will colour
you will colour
they will colour
Future continuous
I will be colouring
you will be colouring
he/she/it will be colouring
we will be colouring
you will be colouring
they will be colouring
Future perfect
I will have coloured
you will have coloured
he/she/it will have coloured
we will have coloured
you will have coloured
they will have coloured
Future perfect continuous
I will have been colouring
you will have been colouring
he/she/it will have been colouring
we will have been colouring
you will have been colouring
they will have been colouring
The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.
CONDITIONAL
Conditional
I would colour
you would colour
he/she/it would colour
we would colour
you would colour
they would colour
Conditional continuous
I would be colouring
you would be colouring
he/she/it would be colouring
we would be colouring
you would be colouring
they would be colouring
Conditional perfect
I would have colour
you would have colour
he/she/it would have colour
we would have colour
you would have colour
they would have colour
Conditional perfect continuous
I would have been colouring
you would have been colouring
he/she/it would have been colouring
we would have been colouring
you would have been colouring
they would have been colouring
Conditional or «future-in-the-past» tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.
IMPERATIVE
Imperative
you colour
we let´s colour
you colour
The imperative is used to form commands or requests.
NONFINITE VERB FORMS
Present Participle
colouring
Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH COLOUR
Synonyms and antonyms of colour in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «COLOUR»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «colour» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «colour» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF COLOUR
Find out the translation of colour to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of colour from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «colour» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
颜色
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
color
570 millions of speakers
English
colour
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
रंग
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
لَوْن
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
цвет
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
cor
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
রঙ
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
couleur
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
warna
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
Farbe
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
色
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
색
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Werna
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
màu sắc
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
நிறம்
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
रंग
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
renk
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
colore
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
kolor
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
колір
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
culoare
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
χρώμα
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
kleur
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
färg
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
farge
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of colour
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «COLOUR»
The term «colour» is very widely used and occupies the 3.605 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «colour» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of colour
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «colour».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «COLOUR» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «colour» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «colour» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about colour
10 QUOTES WITH «COLOUR»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word colour.
If you change the way you tell your own story, you can change the colour and create a life in technicolour.
The industry is quite chauvinistic generally. Expectations of women, girls, what they should look like, how they should be, what they should say, what they should wear, how their hair should be, what colour their skin should be.
The colour of the skin is in no way connected with strength of the mind or intellectual powers.
I became intrigued with colour theory. The absurd pronouncements of the colour Institute, a group that decides what colours are hot each year or season, amused me.
I am a great lover of art, in many forms: paintings, objets, textiles. I don’t have the talent for painting, but I have a very good sense of colour, a love of visual beauty.
I know that if odour were visible, as colour is, I’d see the summer garden in rainbow clouds.
Fashion should be something that in the morning, when you open your window, you say, ‘Oh fantastic, sun!’ Then you take your shower, you say, ‘OK fantastic, which colour I wear today because I feel happy?’ This should be fashion.
Shadow is a colour as light is, but less brilliant; light and shadow are only the relation of two tones.
Every time I have to try on a wig for work, I get excited about the colour; I’ve often thought about going for a platinum bob or also raven black, as it looks so great against pale skin. But I always end up being loyal to my red colour.
Ajax is a multicultural club, and we have found that many talented immigrant players quit when they reach puberty. So we wanted to tackle this problem with someone from the same background who had come through it. And that was Edgar Davids. During one of our fights, I pointed that out to him. But it had nothing to do with his skin colour.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «COLOUR»
Discover the use of colour in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to colour and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
To answer such questions on the nature of colour this volume gathers the combined knowledge of physics, biology, history and art.
Trevor Lamb, Janine Bourriau, 1995
2
Colour: A Workshop for Artists and Designers
Demystifying its subject for professionals and students alike, this title inspires confidence in colour’s application to graphic design, illustration, painting, textile art, and textile design.
3
Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles
«This book by internationally renowned dyer, costumier and artist India Flint draws on her two decades of experience and experimentation in natural dyeing techniques to present an expert, highly accessible and achievable handbook of …
Included in this special edition is the original patent application for A. Wallace Rimington’s Colour Organ, his 1895 speech announcing the new art of colour-music, and the full text of his 1912 book discussing his art in detail, complete …
Discusses the colors of the natural world, the mechanism of color vision, uses of color in technology, and the psychological effects of color
6
Colour and The Optical Properties of Materials: An …
New to this Edition: The chapter framework of the first edition will be retained, with each chapter being substantially rewritten and some material would be relocated. Some chapters will be rewritten in a clearer fashion, e.g.
Richard J. D. Tilley, 2010
7
Colour: Seeing, Experiencing, Understanding
This book is ideal for parents, teachers and anyone who wishes to develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the phenomenon of color.
8
Colour: How to Use Colour in Art and Design
This book provides a thorough grounding in colour theory as well as expert advice about putting the principles into practice.
Edith Anderson Feisner, 2000
9
Colour-coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950
A richly textured narrative that seeks to capture the role played by the law in the definition of race and shoring up of racial repression in Canada.
Constance Backhouse, Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 1999
10
The Architectonic Colour: Polychromy in the Purist …
With the term ‘the architectonic colour’, Le Corbusier (1887-1965) referred tot he profound link between this gamma and architecture. This book is an account of a significant aspect of Le Corbusier’s work.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «COLOUR»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term colour is used in the context of the following news items.
See your way to better colour choices
But when it comes to choosing a wall colour, you’re stopped cold. You are not alone. I knew a woman who put less thought into her wedding … «Toronto Sun, Jul 15»
Kylie Minogue injects a pop of colour to Lancome Celebrates 80 …
Even shaped like the velvety lip colour, thanks to its off-the-shoulder shape, the Princess Of Pop was positively radiant from head-to-toe in the … «Daily Mail, Jul 15»
Blake Lively debuts her new brunette hair colour on Instagram
The actress debuted her new darker colour on Tuesday, giving her Instagram followers a look at her look, which she called: ‘bronde.’. «Daily Mail, Jul 15»
Debra Williams blog: Well, colour me purple!
ONE of the first questions children learn to answer is what is your favourite colour? Blue is the most popular colour, even in countries where … «South Wales Evening Post, Jul 15»
Have a blast with Grove House’s first colour run
St Albans estate agents Collinson Hall are playing a colourful part in the first-ever Colour Blast fun run in aid of Rennie Grove Hospice Care. «Herts Advertiser, Jul 15»
New colour scale reveals FarSounder images
FarSounder, the US-based navigation systems specialist, has altered the pallet of its colour-map’s in order to create more intuitive and readable … «Superyacht News — The Superyacht Report, Jul 15»
Good news Tottenham fans: White is a more successful colour than …
Previous research has suggested that teams wearing red win more matches because the colour subconsciously unnerves and scares … «Evening Standard, Jul 15»
18 rare colour photographs of the Russian Empire from over 100 …
Russian chemist and photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii was one of the first to use colour photography in the early 20th … «Business Insider Australia, Jul 15»
Colour Sound Invests In Robe BMFLs
West London based lighting and visuals rental company Colour Sound Experiment now holds the largest stock of Robe BMFL Spot moving … «Live Design, Jul 15»
Probe unveils Pluto as solar system’s second ‘Red Planet’
More remarkable, though, is the zoomed-in, colour image that shows off the reddish hue of the surface — making Pluto strangely reminiscent of … «The Weather Network, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Colour [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/colour>. Apr 2023 ».
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Discover all that is hidden in the words on 
a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating
(chemistry) a substance that changes color to indicate the presence of some ion or substance; can be used to indicate the completion of a chemical reaction or (in medicine) to test for a particular reaction
a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process
a usually soluble substance for staining or coloring e.g. fabrics or hair
a substance that colors metals
a reddish coloring material found in some algae
dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.)
any substance whose presence in plant or animal tissues produces a characteristic color
(microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible
any of a group of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms; there are four naturally occurring forms
a substance in photosensitive bacteria that is related to but different from chlorophyll of higher plants
water-soluble proteinaceous pigments found in red algae and cyanobacteria
red pigment in red algae
blue pigment in algae
used especially by artists
a paint used to protect against the accumulation of barnacles etc. on underwater surfaces
a layer of paint covering something else
paint made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder
a paint that dries to a hard glossy finish
a paint consisting of pigment mixed with melted beeswax; it is fixed with heat after application
paint that has the consistency of jelly
paint used to cover the exterior woodwork of a house
paint in which a drying oil is the vehicle
a paint that dries with a finish between glossy and flat
paint applied with a spray gun
paint in which water is used as the vehicle
an indicator used in reactions that involve precipitation
an indicator that changes color on going from acidic to basic solutions
biochemical indicator of the presence of carbohydrates in a solution; if carbohydrates are present a violet ring is formed by reaction with alpha-naphthol in the presence of sulfuric acid
a white powder used as a pigment for its high covering power and durability
greenish-blue pigment consisting essentially of cobalt oxide and alumina
a colored mineral used as a pigment
a yellow pigment sometimes suspended in lacquer
any of a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants and animals
dye in which the chromophore is part of a negative ion
any of various yellow dyes; not related chemically to alizarin but applied in the same manner
a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically
any of many dyes made from aniline
pigment occurring in animals
any dye containing one or more azo groups
a green crystal (violet in water) used as a dye or stain or bactericide or fungicide or anthelmintic or burn treatment
a dark green dye used as a stain, an antiseptic, a chemical indicator, and an antidote in cyanide poisoning
a dye that is considered to be a base because the chromophore is part of a positive ion
light greenish-blue pigment consisting essentially of oxides of cobalt and tin
any of a class of green pigments consisting of chrome yellow and iron blue
green pigment consisting of Prussian blue mixed with gamboge
any of several yellow pigments consisting of normal lead chromate and other lead compounds
a water-soluble brownish-yellow pigment made by boiling wood soot
any of a large class of plant pigments having a chemical structure based on or similar to flavone
a red pigment composed in part from ferric oxide which is often used in paints and cosmetics
a black pigment made from grinding burnt ivory in oil
any of various blue pigments
any pigment that produces a greyish to dark greyish blue
a violet-colored salt used in hide tanning and as a mordant in dyeing
a poisonous colorless salt used as a mordant and in medicine
an indicator that shows a reversible color change between oxidized and reduced forms
a metal tincture used in heraldry to give a silvery appearance
an orange-red crystalline compound used in making red pigments and in dyeing
used to whiten laundry or hair or give it a bluish tinge
a dye used as an acid-base indicator
a dye used as an acid-base indicator
a red dyestuff consisting of dried bodies of female cochineal insects
any of a class of dyes containing a -CH= group linking two heterocyclic rings containing nitrogen; used as sensitizers in photography
dye with a high affinity for cellulose fibers (cotton or rayon etc.)
a yellow dye that is visible even when highly diluted; used as an absorption indicator when silver nitrate solution is added to sodium chloride in order to precipitate silver chloride (turns pink when no chloride ions are left in solution and negative fluorescein ions are then absorbed)
any of various fluorescent substances used in fluorescence microscopy to stain specimens
a dye or tint for the hair
a green dye, often used to color cloth, which is obtained from the woad plant
scarlet dye like cochineal; extracted with alkali from stick lac
a poisonous white solid (Pb[CH3CO]2) used in dyeing cotton and in making enamels and varnishes
a purplish dye obtained from orchil lichens
a soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment)
any of numerous bright translucent organic pigments
a purplish red pigment prepared from lac or cochineal
any pigment producing the orange color
water-soluble pigment
a yellow dye made from the bark of the quercitron oak tree
dye that does not allow the passage of X rays or other radiation; used to outline certain organs during X-ray examination
any of a class of chiefly red organic dyes
a red-purple to deep purple dye obtained from snails or made synthetically
a water-insoluble dye that is applied by reducing the dye to an alkaline form, applying the dye, then regenerating the insoluble dye by oxidation in the material; used for dyeing cotton
a blue dyestuff obtained from the woad plant
either of two yellow to red retinal pigments formed from rhodopsin by the action of light
a toxic double salt of copper arsenate and copper acetate
a red-orange salt used as a mordant
rich brown pigment prepared from the ink of cuttlefishes
any of various pigments distributed widely in living tissues
a complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds
a granular brown substance composed of ferric oxide; left from the breakdown of hemoglobin; can be a sign of disturbed iron metabolism
a stain of contrasting color that is used when the principal stain does not show the structure clearly
blue pigment made of powdered lapis lazuli
a special pigment found in the rods and cones of the retina
pigment of cadmium sulfide and barium sulfate varying in hue from lemon yellow to orange
a blue or green powder used as a paint pigment
a poisonous white pigment that contains lead
a white pigment used in house paints; consists of zinc oxide
Содержание
- 1 Английский
- 1.1 Морфологические и синтаксические свойства
- 1.2 Произношение
- 1.3 Семантические свойства
- 1.3.1 Значение
- 1.3.2 Синонимы
- 1.3.3 Антонимы
- 1.3.4 Гиперонимы
- 1.3.5 Гипонимы
- 1.4 Родственные слова
- 1.5 Этимология
- 1.6 Фразеологизмы и устойчивые сочетания
Английский[править]
Морфологические и синтаксические свойства[править]
| ед. ч. | мн. ч. |
|---|---|
| colour | colours |
col—our
Существительное. [Merriam-Webster]
Произношение[править]
- МФА (Великобритания): [ˈkʌl.ə(ɹ)]
- МФА (США): [ˈkʌl.ɚ]
Семантические свойства[править]
Значение[править]
- брит. то же, что color; цвет ◆ Отсутствует пример употребления (см. рекомендации).
Синонимы[править]
- (амер.) color
Антонимы[править]
Гиперонимы[править]
Гипонимы[править]
Родственные слова[править]
| Ближайшее родство | |
Этимология[править]
Происходит от лат. color «цвет» из стар. colos, изначально в знач. «покрытие» (восходит к праиндоевр. *kel- «покрывать»). Англ. colour (color) — с начала XIII века, заимств. через ст.-франц. colur. Использованы материалы Online Etymology Dictionary Дугласа Харпера. См. Список литературы.
Фразеологизмы и устойчивые сочетания[править]
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Для улучшения этой статьи желательно:
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From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pigment Colours — Classification {Used in fine arts and drawings and mainly used for physical works}
Colour is a property of light as seen by people. In American English, the name is not «colour» with the «u,» it is «color» without the «u.» While in Commonwealth English, it is «colour» with the «u.»
The following are the most common color names:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Cyan
- Blue
Additive colour mixing {Used in computer screening and graphics and mostly used for digital purposes}
Subtractive colour mixing {Used in computer screening and graphics and mostly used for digital purposes}
- Magenta
- Purple
- White
- Black
- Gray (American English)
- Grey (Commonwealth English)
- Silver
- Pink
- Maroon
- Brown
- Beige
- Tan
- Peach
- Lime
- Olive
- Turquoise
- Teal
- Navy blue
- Indigo
- Violet
«Primary colours» can be mixed to make other colours. Red, yellow, and blue are the three traditional primary colours. The primary colours for television screens and computer monitors are red, green and blue. Printers and paints use magenta, yellow, and cyan as their primary colours; they may also use black. Sometimes this set of colours is simply called red, yellow, and blue.
People who can not see colours or have a distorted sense of colour are called colour-blind. Most colour-blind people are male.
Colours are sometimes added to food. Food colouring is used to colour food, but some foods have natural colourings, like beta carotene.
When something has no colour, it is called transparent. An example is air.
The science of colour is sometimes called chromatics, colourimetry, or simply colour science.
A translucent material is not the same as a colourless material because it can still have a colour, like stained glass.
[change | change source]
- List of colors
References[change | change source]
Web colors (list) |
|||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | Crimson | Red | Maroon | Brown | Misty Rose | Salmon | Coral | Orange-Red | Chocolate | Orange | Gold | Ivory | Yellow | Olive | Yellow-Green | Lawn green | Chartreuse |
| Lime | Green | Spring green | Aquamarine | Turquoise | Azure | Aqua/Cyan | Teal | Lavender | Blue | Navy | Blue-Violet | Indigo | Dark Violet | Plum | Magenta | Purple | Red-Violet |
| Tan | Beige | Slate gray | Dark Slate Gray | White | White Smoke | Light Gray | Silver | Dark Gray | Gray | Dim Gray | Black | ||||||
col·our
(kŭl′ər)
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
colour
(ˈkʌlə) or
color
n
1. (General Physics)
a. 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
b. the aspect of visual perception by which an observer recognizes this attribute
c. the quality of the light producing this aspect of visual perception
d. (as modifier): colour vision.
2. (General Physics)
a. a colour, such as red or green, that possesses hue, as opposed to achromatic colours such as white or black
b. (as modifier): a colour television; a colour film. Compare black-and-white2
3. (Dyeing) a substance, such as a dye, pigment, or paint, that imparts colour to something
4. (Anthropology & Ethnology)
a. the skin complexion of a person, esp as determined by race
b. (as modifier): colour prejudice; colour problem.
5. (Art Terms) the use of all the hues in painting as distinct from composition, form, and light and shade
6. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) the quantity and quality of ink used in a printing process
7. (Music, other) 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. (Mining & Quarrying) US a precious mineral particle, esp gold, found in auriferous gravel
11. (General Physics) physics one of three characteristics of quarks, designated red, blue, or green, but having no relationship with the physical sensation
vb
12. to give or apply colour to (something)
13. (tr) to give a convincing or plausible appearance to (something, esp to that which is spoken or recounted): to colour an alibi.
14. (tr) to influence or distort (something, esp a report or opinion): anger coloured her judgment.
15. (often foll by: up) to become red in the face, esp when embarrassed or annoyed
16. (Agriculture) (intr) (esp of ripening fruit) to change hue
[C13: from Old French colour from Latin color tint, hue]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
col•or
(ˈkʌl ər)
n.
1. the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by it, usu. determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma; hue.
2. the natural hue of the skin, esp. of the face; complexion.
3. a ruddy complexion, usu. indicating good health.
4. a blush.
5. vivid or distinctive quality, as of a literary work.
6. details in description, customs, speech, habits, etc., of a place or period: a novel about the Pilgrims with much local color.
7. something that is used for coloring; pigment; dye.
8. background information, as anecdotes or analyses of strategy, given by a sportscaster during a broadcast.
9. colors,
a. a colored badge, ribbon, or uniform worn or displayed to signify allegiance, membership, etc.
b. viewpoint or attitude; character; personality: to show one’s true colors under stress.
c. a flag, ensign, etc., particularly the national flag.
10. skin tone other than white as an indicator of racial or ethnic affiliation: Persons of color had been denied their civil rights.
11. outward appearance or aspect; guise or show: a lie that had the color of truth.
12. a pretext: a mean trick under the color of a good deed.
13. Law. an apparent or evident right: holding possession under color of title.
14. tonal shading and timbre in music.
15. a trace or particle of valuable mineral, esp. gold, as shown by washing auriferous gravel.
16. Physics. a theoretical property that distinguishes the various states in which quarks exist.
adj.
17. involving, utilizing, yielding, or possessing color: a color TV.
v.t.
18. to give or apply color to; tinge; paint; dye.
19. to cause to appear different from the reality: She colored her account.
20. to give a special character or quality to: The author’s animosities color his writing.
v.i.
21. to take on or change color.
22. to flush; blush.
Idioms:
change color,
a. to blush.
b. to turn pale.
[1250–1300; Middle English col(e)ur < Anglo-French < Latin colōrem, acc. of color]
col′or•er, n.
usage: See -or1.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
colour
When you are describing the colour of something, you don’t normally use the word colour. Don’t say, for example, ‘He wore a green colour tie‘. You say ‘He wore a green tie’.
She had blonde hair and green eyes.
She was wearing a bright yellow hat.
However, you sometimes use the word colour when you are asking about the colour of something, or when you are describing a colour in an indirect way.
What colour was the bird?
The paint was the colour of grass.
Be Careful!
In sentences like these you use be, not ‘have’. Don’t say ‘What colour has the bird?‘ or ‘The paint has the colour of grass‘.
You also use the word colour when you are using more unusual colour words. For example, you can say that something is a bluish-green colour.
The plastic is treated with heat until it turns a milky white colour.
There was the sea, a glittering blue-green colour.
You can also say, for example, that something is bluish-green in colour.
The leaves are rough and grey-green in colour.
You can also add the suffix -coloured to the name of a colour.
He bought me a cheap gold-coloured bracelet.
He selected one of his most expensive cream-coloured suits.
The American spellings of ‘colour’ and ‘-coloured’ are color and -colored.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
colour
Past participle: coloured
Gerund: colouring
| Imperative |
|---|
| colour |
| colour |
| Present |
|---|
| I colour |
| you colour |
| he/she/it colours |
| we colour |
| you colour |
| they colour |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I coloured |
| you coloured |
| he/she/it coloured |
| we coloured |
| you coloured |
| they coloured |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am colouring |
| you are colouring |
| he/she/it is colouring |
| we are colouring |
| you are colouring |
| they are colouring |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have coloured |
| you have coloured |
| he/she/it has coloured |
| we have coloured |
| you have coloured |
| they have coloured |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was colouring |
| you were colouring |
| he/she/it was colouring |
| we were colouring |
| you were colouring |
| they were colouring |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had coloured |
| you had coloured |
| he/she/it had coloured |
| we had coloured |
| you had coloured |
| they had coloured |
| Future |
|---|
| I will colour |
| you will colour |
| he/she/it will colour |
| we will colour |
| you will colour |
| they will colour |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have coloured |
| you will have coloured |
| he/she/it will have coloured |
| we will have coloured |
| you will have coloured |
| they will have coloured |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be colouring |
| you will be colouring |
| he/she/it will be colouring |
| we will be colouring |
| you will be colouring |
| they will be colouring |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been colouring |
| you have been colouring |
| he/she/it has been colouring |
| we have been colouring |
| you have been colouring |
| they have been colouring |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been colouring |
| you will have been colouring |
| he/she/it will have been colouring |
| we will have been colouring |
| you will have been colouring |
| they will have been colouring |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been colouring |
| you had been colouring |
| he/she/it had been colouring |
| we had been colouring |
| you had been colouring |
| they had been colouring |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would colour |
| you would colour |
| he/she/it would colour |
| we would colour |
| you would colour |
| they would colour |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have coloured |
| you would have coloured |
| he/she/it would have coloured |
| we would have coloured |
| you would have coloured |
| they would have coloured |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. | colour — any material used for its color; «she used a different color for the trim»
coloring material, colouring material, color paint, pigment — a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating; «artists use `paint’ and `pigment’ interchangeably» material, stuff — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; «coal is a hard black material»; «wheat is the stuff they use to make bread» indicator — (chemistry) a substance that changes color to indicate the presence of some ion or substance; can be used to indicate the completion of a chemical reaction or (in medicine) to test for a particular reaction mordant — a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process dye, dyestuff — a usually soluble substance for staining or coloring e.g. fabrics or hair tincture — a substances that colors metals hematochrome — a reddish coloring material found in some algae pigment — dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.) pigment — any substance whose presence in plant or animal tissues produces a characteristic color stain — (microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible |
| 2. | colour — a race with skin pigmentation different from the white race (especially Blacks)
people of color, people of colour, color person of color, person of colour — (formal) any non-European non-white person |
|
| 3. | colour — (physics) the characteristic of quarks that determines their role in the strong interaction; «each flavor of quarks comes in three colors»
color kind, sort, form, variety — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; «sculpture is a form of art»; «what kinds of desserts are there?» high energy physics, high-energy physics, particle physics — the branch of physics that studies subatomic particles and their interactions |
|
| 4. |  colour — interest and variety and intensity; «the Puritan Period was lacking in color»; «the characters were delineated with exceptional vividness»
vividness, color interestingness, interest — the power of attracting or holding one’s attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.); «they said nothing of great interest»; «primary colors can add interest to a room» |
|
| 5. | colour — the timbre of a musical sound; «the recording fails to capture the true color of the original music»
coloration, colouration, color timbre, tone, quality, timber — (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound); «the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely»; «the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet» |
|
| 6. |  colour — a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect; «a white color is made up of many different wavelengths of light»
color, coloring, colouring visual property — an attribute of vision primary color, primary colour — any of three colors from which all others can be obtained by mixing heather mixture, heather — interwoven yarns of mixed colors producing muted greyish shades with flecks of color mottle — an irregular arrangement of patches of color; «it was not dull grey as distance had suggested, but a mottle of khaki and black and olive-green» tint, shade, tincture, tone — a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color; «after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted» chromatic color, chromatic colour, spectral color, spectral colour — a color that has hue achromatic color, achromatic colour — a color lacking hue; white or grey or black coloration, colouration — appearance with regard to color; «her healthy coloration» complexion, skin color, skin colour — the coloring of a person’s face dithered color, dithered colour, nonsolid color, nonsolid colour — a color produced by a pattern of differently colored dots that together simulate the desired color |
|
| 7. | colour — an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; «he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity»; «he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction»; «the situation soon took on a different color»
semblance, gloss, color appearance, visual aspect — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing color of law, colour of law — a mere semblance of legal right; something done with the apparent authority of law but actually in contravention of law; «the plaintiff claimed that under color of law the officer had deprived him of his civil rights» simulacrum — an insubstantial or vague semblance face value — the apparent worth as opposed to the real worth guise, pretence, pretext, pretense — an artful or simulated semblance; «under the guise of friendship he betrayed them» camouflage, disguise — an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something; «the theatrical notion of disguise is always associated with catastrophe in his stories» verisimilitude — the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true |
|
| 8. | colour — the appearance of objects (or light sources) described in terms of a person’s perception of their hue and lightness (or brightness) and saturation
color appearance, visual aspect — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing |
|
| Verb | 1. | colour — modify or bias; «His political ideas color his lectures»
color act upon, influence, work — have and exert influence or effect; «The artist’s work influenced the young painter»; «She worked on her friends to support the political candidate» |
| 2. | colour — decorate with colors; «color the walls with paint in warm tones»
emblazon, color adorn, decorate, grace, ornament, embellish, beautify — make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; «Decorate the room for the party»; «beautify yourself for the special day» miniate — paint with red lead or vermilion |
|
| 3. | colour — give a deceptive explanation or excuse for; «color a lie»
gloss, color apologise, rationalize, apologize, rationalise, justify, excuse — defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; «rationalize the child’s seemingly crazy behavior»; «he rationalized his lack of success» |
|
| 4. | colour — affect as in thought or feeling; «My personal feelings color my judgment in this case»; «The sadness tinged his life»
tinge, color, distort affect, bear upon, impact, bear on, touch on, touch — have an effect upon; «Will the new rules affect me?» |
|
| 5. | colour — add color to; «The child colored the drawings»; «Fall colored the trees»; «colorize black and white film»
color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize alter, change, modify — cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; «The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city»; «The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue» blackwash — color with blackwash parti-color, motley — make motley; color with different colors polychrome, polychromise, polychromize — color with many colors; make polychrome azure — color azure; «Morning azured the village» empurple, purpurate, purple — color purple aurify — turn golden verdigris — color verdigris pinkify — make pink incarnadine — make flesh-colored brown, embrown — make brown in color; «the draught browned the leaves on the trees in the yard» handcolor, handcolour — color by hand; «Some old photographs are handcolored» tinct, tint, tinge, touch — color lightly; «her greying hair was tinged blond»; «the leaves were tinged red in November» pigment — color or dye with a pigment; «pigment a photograph» hue, imbue — suffuse with color retouch — give retouches to (hair); «retouch the roots» silver — make silver in color; «Her worries had silvered her hair» gray, grey — make grey; «The painter decided to grey the sky» tone — change to a color image; «tone a photographic image» redden — make red; «The setting sun reddened the sky» blotch, mottle, streak — mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained |
|
| 6. | colour — change color, often in an undesired manner; «The shirts discolored»
discolour, discolor, color blush, crimson, flush, redden — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame; «The girl blushed when a young man whistled as she walked by» blanch, blench, pale — turn pale, as if in fear bronze, tan — get a tan, from wind or sun sunburn, burn — get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun change — undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one’s or its original nature; «She changed completely as she grew older»; «The weather changed last night» white, whiten — turn white; «This detergent will whiten your laundry» black, blacken, nigrify, melanise, melanize — make or become black; «The smoke blackened the ceiling»; «The ceiling blackened» turn — change color; «In Vermont, the leaves turn early» silver — turn silver; «The man’s hair silvered very attractively» dye — color with dye; «Please dye these shoes» redden — turn red or redder; «The sky reddened» purple — become purple gray, grey — turn grey; «Her hair began to grey» yellow — turn yellow; «The pages of the book began to yellow» tone — change the color or tone of; «tone a negative» green — turn or become green; «The trees are greening» blue — turn blue |
|
| Adj. | 1. | colour — having or capable of producing colors; «color film»; «he rented a color television»; «marvelous color illustrations»
color photography, picture taking — the act of taking and printing photographs |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
colour
U.S. color
verb
1. tint, stain, dye Saffron can be used to colour the rice yellow.
see shades from black to white, shades of blue, shades of brown, shades of green, shades of orange, shades of purple, shades of red, shades of yellow
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
لَوْنلَوْن البَشَرَه، عِرْقلَوْن، وُضوح، اهْتِماممُلَوَّنيُلَوِّن
barvabarva pletibarvitostnabarvitnatřít
farvefarve-hudfarvelivmale
väri
boja
életszerûségszínes
hörundsliturlíf og fjörlitalita, lit-litur
色
색
bespalvisblankusdaltonikasdažaidažomoji medžiaga
kolorītskrāsakrāsotkrāsu-krāsviela
farba pletikolorit
färg
สี
màu sắc
colour
color (US) [ˈkʌləʳ]
B. VT
1. (= apply colour to) [+ picture] (with paint) → pintar; (with crayons) → colorear
2. (= dye, tint) → teñir
to colour one’s hair → teñirse or tintarse el pelo
C. VI
3. (with crayons) [child] → colorear
colour in VT + ADV (with crayons) → colorear; (with paint) → pintar
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
colour
[ˈkʌlər] (British) color (US)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
colour
, (US) color
colour
, (US) color in cpds → Farb-; (racial) → Rassen-; (Mil) → Fahnen-;
colour
, (US) color:
colour party
n → Fahnenträgerkommando nt
colour scheme
n → Farbzusammenstellung f
colour sergeant
n (Mil) → Fahnenträger m
colour supplement
n → Farbbeilage f, → Magazin nt
colourwash, (US) colorwash
n → Farbtünche f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
colour
color (Am) [ˈkʌləʳ]
3. vi (blush) (also colour up) → arrossire
4. adj (film, slide, photograph, television) → a colori
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
colour
(American) color (ˈkalə) noun
1. a quality which objects have, and which can be seen, only when light falls on them. What colour is her dress?; Red, blue and yellow are colours.
2. paint(s). That artist uses water-colours.
3. (a) skin-colour varying with race. people of all colours.
4. vividness; interest. There’s plenty of colour in his stories.
adjective
(of photographs etc) in colour, not black and white. colour film; colour television.
verb
to put colour on; to paint. They coloured the walls yellow.
ˈcoloured adjective
1. having colour. She prefers white baths to coloured baths.
2. belonging to a dark-skinned race. There are only two white families living in this street – the rest are coloured.
noun
(sometimes used impolitely) a dark-skinned person especially of Negro origin.
ˈcolourful adjective
1. full of colour. a colourful pattern.
2. vivid and interesting. a colourful account of his experiences.
ˈcolouring noun
1. something used to give colour. She put pink colouring in the icing.
2. complexion. She had very high colouring (= a very pink complexion).
ˈcolourless adjective
1. without colour. Water is colourless.
2. not lively or interesting. a colourless young woman.
ˈcolours noun plural
1. the distinction of winning a place in the team in some sports. He won his cricket colours last season.
2. a flag. Army regiments salute the colours when on parade.
3. a tunic of certain colours worn by a jockey to show that his race-horse belongs to a certain person.
ˈcolour-blind adjective
unable to tell the difference between certain colours. As he was colour-blind he could not distinguish between red and green.
ˈcolour scheme noun
an arrangement or choice of colours in decorating a house etc.
ˌoff-ˈcolour adjective
not feeling well. He was a bit off-colour the morning after the party.
colour in
to put colour into (drawings etc). He coloured in all the oblong shapes on the page.
show oneself in one’s true colours
to show or express one’s real character, opinion etc. He pretends to be very generous but he showed himself in his true colours when he refused to give money to charity.
with flying colours
with great success. He passed his exam with flying colours.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
colour
→ لَوْن barva farve Farbe χρώμα color väri couleur boja colore 色 색 kleur farge kolor cor цвет färg สี renk màu sắc 颜色
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
- Do you have this in another color? (US)
Do you have this in another colour? (UK) - I don’t like the color (US)
I don’t like the colour (UK) - A color film, please (US)
A colour film, please (UK) - I need a color film for this camera (US)
I need a colour film for this camera (UK) - Is there a color printer? (US)
Is there a colour printer? (UK) - In color (US)
In colour (UK) - I’d like a color photocopy of this, please (US)
I’d like a colour photocopy of this, please (UK) - This color, please (US)
This colour, please (UK)
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009