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colouring

British  
/ ˈkʌlərɪŋ /

noun

  1. the process or art of applying colour

  2. anything used to give colour, such as dye, paint, etc

  3. appearance with regard to shade and colour

  4. arrangements of colours and tones, as in the markings of birds and animals

  5. the colour of a person's features or complexion

  6. a false or misleading appearance

"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

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.

"I just wanted to let them know what wonderful people they are," Benic said, who gave the couple children's colouring books for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Signs of civilian life, including a children's colouring book, paintings and cooking utensils, were among the debris.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Production depends on the same painstaking research, writing and colouring, although some images of deities have evolved.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Lotte, 22, from Peterborough, who is autistic, loves reading and colouring and has just completed a Level 3 course in creative media.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025

Perhaps because it had been raining the colouring was indistinct.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

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.