high yellow

American  

Also high yaller

noun

Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a term used to refer to a light-skinned Black person.

---

Sensitive Note

This term implies that the person has a high proportion of white ancestry and looks more like a white person than a Black person. The term was most commonly used in the American South in the late 19th century and early 20th century, though it is still sometimes used today by both white people and Black people. See also yellow.

Other Word Forms

• high-yellow
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of high yellow

First recorded in 1920–25

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high yellow

Ford is partial to classic looks and lines, but threw in some fun with accessories like giant, feathered earrings in many colors, and a pair of high, yellow animal-skin cowboy boots.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 8, 2020

Against the high yellow paling which divided them from the orchestra their shadows were enormous and fantastic.

From Time Magazine Archive

I don’t put in that Constantine’s daughter was high yellow; I just want to show that Constantine’s love for me began with missing her own child.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Through the high, yellow grass along the bayshore we flew.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

There, where the dirt road makes a deep red cut between high yellow walls of grass, you never know what might be coming toward you on dusty feet.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---