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

She described how recent protests against police violence are affecting her understanding of America’s color line.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 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

Professional wrestling was a kind of civil religion in that working-class community, uniting us on both sides of the color line.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2025

They would no sooner question the color line than they would the concept of heaven and hell or the fact that man must earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson