color line

American

[kuhl-er lahyn] / ˈkʌl ər ˌlaɪn /

noun

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

idioms

draw the color line, to observe a color line.

Etymology

Origin of color line

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

color line

She was determined to shine a light on what, for many Americans on both sides of the color line, is a hidden and forgotten history.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025

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

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

For years a white businessman named Ralph Johns had tried to convince A&T students to defy the color line in Greensboro.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023