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colorant

American  
[kuhl-er-uhnt] / ˈkʌl ər ənt /

noun

  1. something used as a coloring matter; pigment; dye.

colorant British  
/ ˈkʌlərənt /

noun

  1. any substance that imparts colour, such as a pigment, dye, or ink; colouring matter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of colorant

1880–85; < French, present participle of colorer < Latin colōrāre to color. See color, -ant

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.

Butterfly pea flower extract is derived from a clitoria ternatea plant, often used as a natural food colorant, according to the NIH.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

The latest initiative comes more than three decades after the colorant was barred from cosmetics and non-oral medications due to potentially causing cancer.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2025

"It shows that nature has evolved to use a really neat trick, an ultrathin layer for an important colorant," added Rox.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2024

Agribusiness giant ADM bought the company in 2014 for $3 billion and has been selling the colorant as “huito blue” and sourcing the fruit from Peru.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 14, 2023

Between butter with colorant and the same without it, many consumers choose the one with colour.

From The Brain, A Decoded Enigma by Moisa, Dorin Teodor

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.