coloring

[kuhl-er-ing]

noun

1. the act or method of applying color.

2. appearance as to color.

   healthy coloring.

3. a substance used to color something.

   food coloring made from vegetable dyes.

4. aspect or tone.

   The ethical coloring of the story balanced the rawness of its language.

5. specious appearance; show.

Other Word Forms

• noncoloring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coloring¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; color, -ing ¹

Related Words

• complexion 
• shading 

When To Use

Spelling tips for coloring

The word coloring is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be tempting to use a double l or double r. Second, in British English, the word is spelled with a u (colouring), unlike in American English. How to spell coloring: When it comes to color, keep it simple. Too much color, and too many letters, is distracting. You don't need any extra letters, like a double l, double r, or u. Then, you add the suffix -ing to the base word color to form coloring.