ochre

[oh-ker]

noun

ochred, ochring 

1. ocher.

ochre

/ ˈəʊkərɪ, ˈəʊkrɪəs, ˈəʊkrəs, ˈəʊkrɔɪd, ˈəʊkə, ˈəʊkərəs, ˈəʊkrɪ /

noun

1. any of various natural earths containing ferric oxide, silica, and alumina: used as yellow or red pigments

2. 1. a moderate yellow-orange to orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      an ochre dress

verb

1. (tr) to colour with ochre

Other Word Forms

• ochreous adjective
• ochrous adjective
• ochry adjective
• ochroid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ochre¹

C15: from Old French ocre, from Latin ōchra, from Greek ōkhra, from ōkhros pale yellow

Example Sentences

It was unclear whether the dot was made with ochre, a natural clay pigment.

Read more on BBC

Heading west from the Miracle Mile area, the eerie drift of smoke under a midmorning sun bathed the landscape in amber and ochre.

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While sunflower stars have not recovered, adult ochre sea stars on rocky shores are growing in size and number to what was measured before the disease epidemic.

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Mike Love is sitting in a blah-looking room in a Sheraton hotel in North Carolina, the garish pattern of his signature Hawaiian shirt popping against the ochre wallpaper behind him.

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In the resulting enigmatic dreamscapes, muted purples, cornflower blues and soft ochres bloom and spatter and fleck in surprising, delicate ways.

Read more on Seattle Times