the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma; hue.
the natural appearance of the skin, especially of the face; complexion.
She has a lovely color.
a ruddy complexion.
The wind and sun had given color to the sailor's face.
a blush.
His remarks brought the color to her face.
vivid or distinctive quality, as of a literary work.
Melville's description of a whaling voyage is full of color.
details in description, customs, speech, habits, etc., of a place or period.
The novel takes place in New Orleans and contains much local color.
something that is used for coloring; pigment; paint; tint; dye.
background information, as anecdotes about players or competitors or analyses of plays, strategy, or performance, given by a sportscaster to heighten interest in a sportscast.
colors,
any distinctive color or combination or pattern of colors, especially of a badge, ribbon, uniform, or the like, worn or displayed as a symbol of or to identify allegiance to, membership in, or sponsorship by a school, group, or organization.
nature, viewpoint, or attitude; character; personality.
His behavior in a crisis revealed his true colors.
a flag, ensign, etc., particularly the national flag.
U.S. Navy. the ceremony of hoisting the national flag at 8 a.m. and of lowering it at sunset.
skin complexion as a characteristic of a particular people or ethnic group, especially when other than white: a person of color; a man of color; children of color.
one's religion and color;
a person of color;
people of color;
a man of color;
alumni of color;
children of color.
outward appearance or aspect; guise or show.
It was a lie, but it had the color of the truth.
a pretext.
She did it under the color of doing a good deed.
Painting. the general use or effect of the pigments in a picture.
Phonetics. timbre.
Chiefly Law. an apparent or prima facie right or ground.
to hold possession under color of title.
Music. tone color.
a trace or particle of valuable mineral, especially gold, as shown by washing auriferous gravel.
Physics. any of the labels red, green, or blue that designate the three states in which quarks are expected to exist, or any of the corresponding labels for antiquark states.
Printing. the amount of ink used.
Heraldry. a tincture other than a fur or metal, usually including gules, azure, vert, sable, and purpure.
call to the colors, to summon for service in the armed forces.
Thousands are being called to the colors.
change color,
to blush as from embarrassment.
to turn pale, as from fear.
When he saw the size of his opponent, he changed color.
with flying colors. flying colors.
of color, belonging to a racial or ethnic group that is not white and generally not associated with European descent or not characterized by slight or light pigmentation of the skin; nonwhite.
Women of color have higher gendered wage gaps than white women.
The program is aimed at supporting children of color with an interest in acting.
People of color are often underrepresented in the sciences.
The sensation produced by the effect of light waves striking the retina of the eye. The color of something depends mainly on which wavelengths of light it emits, reflects, or transmits.
Color charge.
See also hadron
See -or 1.
See black.
When beams of colored light are mixed, or added, their wavelengths combine to form other colors. All spectral colors can be formed by mixing wavelengths corresponding to the additive primaries red, green, and blue. When two of the additive primaries are mixed in equal proportion, they form the complement of the third. Thus cyan (a mixture of green and blue) is the complement of red; magenta (a mixture of blue and red) is the complement of green; and yellow (a mixture of red and green) is the complement of blue. Mixing the three additive primaries in equal proportions reconstitutes white light. When light passes through a color filter, certain wavelengths are absorbed, or subtracted, while others are transmitted. The subtractive primaries cyan, magenta, and yellow can be combined using overlapping filters to form all other colors. When two of the subtractive primaries are combined in equal proportion, they form the additive primary whose wavelength they share. Thus overlapping filters of cyan (blue and green) and magenta (blue and red) filter out all wavelengths except blue; magenta (blue and red) and yellow (red and green) transmit only red; and yellow (red and green) and cyan (blue and green) transmit only green. Combining all three subtractive primaries in equal proportions filters out all wavelengths, producing black. Light striking a colored surface behaves similarly to light passing through a filter, with certain wavelengths being absorbed and others reflected. Pigments are combined to form different colors by a process of subtractive absorption of various wavelengths.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English col(o)ur, from Anglo-French ( French couleur ), from Latin colōr- (stem of color ) “hue”
From the Latin word colōrētur
You may think the word color just means blue, pink, and the like, but the word can also refer to something of interest, especially of culture or behavior. If you want to see some local color in an Irish town, you should head to the pub where all the locals hang out. As a verb, color can mean to give bias to something. A bad experience on the first day of school will color how you feel about school for the rest of the year. Another meaning of the verb color is to misrepresent or deceive. If someone colors their telling of a story in which they brought a cat down from a tree, they may make it seem like they rescued two little kids, three kittens and a parrot from a burning building.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She helps facilitate the Outdoor Equity program aimed at helping young people of color find belonging in outdoor spaces through hiking, camping, and kayaking, while advocating around environmental racism and access to nature.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota had been preparing to charge Castro with deprivation of rights under color of law for the shooting of Sosa-Celis, according to several people familiar with the case.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Each switch controlled a different color of light as portions of the fabric were stretched and snapped between configurations.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
“Lynch chose to live in L.A. for all the things this show contains,” Griffin said, “the architecture, film noir, cinema, color, mystery, mood.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
One street has five houses painted in rainbow color order.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
"Our study also revealed that the nasal appendages can change quickly in terms of length, shape, and color. Their evolution is possibly driven by the respective preferences of females in mate selection."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2025
“Because it’s so simple, tiny little details will change the texture or the flavor or the color. It could just be, like, the humidity in the room.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2025
“Inspired by the most loveable ingredient of all, Butter is more than an indulgent, joyful color. It's an invitation to savor life's simple heartfelt moments,” the brand added.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2025
Black, for Nevelson, was “the total color. It means totality. It means: contain all.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
“But your eyes really do change color. Normally they’re bright green with a ring of gold around the inside—” “I got them from my mother,” I said.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
I think that’s what I look for when I style as well, and building shapes and silhouettes and textures and colors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The strategy reverses a yearslong expansion of product selection to meet consumer demand for new colors, styles and sizes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Yes, you still may savor the glory of a great player wearing your colors, but there’s a good chance they’ll be packing up shop by the time they’re 25.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
The lyrics go: "Now I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be / In my coat of many colors my momma made for me".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Their exposed layers had as many colors as a magistrate’s robes, from the yellow sand of the desert to the red dirt of the nearby Kashgar plain.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
It would be easy to look at all of this — the card tables, homemade jingles, wagons stacked with brightly colored boxes — and see only an exceptionally cute American ritual.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
But Purcell isn’t the only systems failure that has colored Supreme Court elections cases of late.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
The shadowed portion could also develop a rusty or copper colored tint.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
It featured a futuristic barren desert-like landscape filled with sand punctuated by large colored glass bulbs that resemble marbles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
She was holding a white box covered with brightly colored stamps.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
Helen Guedez and her brother have chosen to disregard the ominous letter coloring the wall of the building that previously housed their dad, sister and grandmother.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Imagine squeezing a drop of food coloring into flowing water.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
Their vivid blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
And that could be coloring perceptions of the job market for the job seekers themselves, and for their friends and family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
No other coloring played a major factor in my calculations.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
