coloring

American  

[kuhl-er-ing] / ˈkʌl ər ɪŋ /

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.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• noncoloring adjective

Etymology

Origin of coloring

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

Example Sentences

Excelling in multiple art forms, Nelson, too, is renowned for coloring outside the lines.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, sales of its Root Perfection product—which extends coloring by about three weeks—have grown by 30% this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Long, frustrating job searches and headlines about large-scale corporate layoffs are coloring views of a labor market far harder to navigate than it was a couple years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Growers use blackout curtains to trick the plants into coloring earlier in the fall, but Kobayashi said they have to be scrupulous about keeping the greenhouses completely dark.

From Los Angeles Times

Beowulf’s picture was far more elaborate than those of his siblings, and it did need a bit more work coloring in the background, but the gist of it was on full, frightening view.

From Literature

Related Words

• complexion
• shading