coloring

[ kuhl-er-ing ]

noun

1. the act or method of applying color.
2. appearance as to color:

   healthy coloring.

3. a substance used to color something:

   food coloring made from vegetable dyes.

4. aspect or tone:

   The ethical coloring of the story balanced the rawness of its language.

5. specious appearance; show.

Other Words From

• non·color·ing adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coloring¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; color, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

There’s a great love of the kind of shell-based jewelry you buy off a cart on the beach, and cocktails that deliver that special vacation three-fer hangover, from the rum and the sugar and the food coloring.

From Vox

Add some food coloring to juice to find out how color might change what you taste.

From Science News For Students

IFC Solutions in Linden, New Jersey, makes both natural and artificial food coloring in “almost any desired shade,” according to the company.

From MIT Technology Review

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the lemon extract and food coloring, if using, and beat again on medium for about 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl again.

From Washington Post

Add the peppermint extract, plus a drop or two of food coloring, if using, and beat until evenly combined.

From Washington Post

“Simple joys of life—hugging, kissing, coloring—they have been taken away,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

A conservative coloring book publisher is out with a new title imagining the tea party heartthrob as a bona fide superhero.

From The Daily Beast

But it gets way more attention for its political coloring materials for small children.

From The Daily Beast

Last year, the St. Louis-based publisher Really Big Coloring Books released a Ted Cruz coloring book.

From The Daily Beast

Really Big Coloring Books has also published titles such as Superheroes of the Bible and Fairies & Princesses.

From The Daily Beast

Gunn possessed a purple complexion which attained to full vigor of coloring in the nasal region.

From Project Gutenberg

The rich dark coloring is the pledge of your safety—better there than darkening your own brains.

From Project Gutenberg

She had the same clear coloring as her cousin, and now this freshness deserted her cheeks, and her pretty face became quite pale.

From Project Gutenberg

She was very handsome, with a certain fine, rich coloring that belongs to the healthy brune type.

From Project Gutenberg

Her eyes were violether lashes and brows dark, like Hesters, which gave her a most remarkable contrast of coloring.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• complexion
• shading

How Do You Spell Coloring?

Spelling tips for coloring

The word coloring is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be tempting to use a double l or double r. Second, in British English, the word is spelled with a u (colouring), unlike in American English. 

How to spell coloring: When it comes to color, keep it simple. Too much color, and too many letters, is distracting. You don’t need any extra letters, like a double l, double r, or u. Then, you add the suffix -ing to the base word color to form coloring.