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• cyan
  cyan

  noun

  cyan blue.
• cyan-
  cyan-

  variant of cyano-, usually before a vowel or h: cyanamide.

cyan

¹ American  

[sahy-an, sahy-uhn] / ˈsaɪ æn, ˈsaɪ ən /

noun

1. cyan blue.

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cyan- ² American  

1. variant of cyano-, usually before a vowel or h: cyanamide.

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cyan- ³ American  

1. variant of cyano-, before a vowel.

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cyan- ⁴ American  

1. variant of cyano-, before a vowel.

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cyan ¹ British  

/ ˈsaɪən, ˈsaɪæn /

noun

1. a highly saturated green-blue that is the complementary colour of red and forms, with magenta and yellow, a set of primary colours

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adjective

1. of this colour

   a cyan filter

cyan- ² British  

combining form

1. a variant of cyano-

   cyanamide

   cyanide

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Etymology

Origin of cyan

First recorded in 1885–90, cyan is from the Greek word kýanos dark blue

Example Sentences

Through the window of an upper floor office in West Hollywood, the sky changed from cyan to navy and then indigo blue.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

For instance, Impossible Foods, one of the leading plant-based meat brands in the country, debuted new, red packaging — a departure from their current cyan labels — today at Natural Products Expo West.

From Salon • May 14, 2024

But such materials appear cyan or even green, rather than a deep blue.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

At first, it seemed to be another caprice of two already unusual animals: Flying squirrels and platypuses were found to be fluorescent, absorbing invisible ultraviolet light and re-emitting it in shocking pink or bright cyan.

From New York Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Cobalt Blue.—A pure blue tending toward cyan blue and of high luminosity; also called Hungary blue, Lethner’s blue, and Paris blue.

From A Color Notation A measured color system, based on the three qualities Hue, Value and Chroma by Munsell, A. H. (Albert Henry)