color line

American  

[kuhl-er lahyn] / ˈkʌl ər ˌlaɪn /

noun

1. Also called color bar.  social or political restriction or distinction based on differences of skin pigmentation, as between white and Black people.

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idioms

1. draw the color line, to observe a color line.

Etymology

Origin of color line

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

color line

When Jackie Robinson entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his informational plaque didn’t mention that he had broken baseball’s color line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

His manager was Spider Jorgensen, whose big league debut in 1947 had been somewhat overshadowed by teammate Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color line that day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025

No. Jazz comes out of politics of the color line and Black American life and struggle and the human experience.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2025

Everyone should wear No. 42 jerseys in honor of Robinson, who famously broke baseball’s color line and also fought segregation in the military.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025

The color line no longer bothered C.P., but there remained the far less visible but just as substantial line of class separating himself from people like Howard Clement.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson