ocher

American  

[oh-ker] / ˈoʊ kər /

Or ochre

noun

1. any of a class of natural earths, mixtures of hydrated oxide of iron with various earthy materials, ranging in color from pale yellow to orange and red, and used as pigments.

2. the color of this, ranging from pale yellow to an orangish or reddish yellow.

3. Obsolete. money, especially gold coin.

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adjective

1. of the color of ocher.

verb (used with object)

ochered, ochering

1. to color or mark with ocher.

ocher British  

/ ˈəʊkə, ˈəʊkrɔɪd /

noun

1. the US spelling of ochre

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Other Word Forms

• ocherous
  adjective
• ochery
  adjective
• ochroid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ocher

1350–1400; Middle English oker < Old French ocre < Latin ōchrā < Greek ṓchrā yellow ocher

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ocher ochered

We are drawn by the painting’s rich orchestration of warm and cool browns—from sludgy tan to super-charged ocher verging on sienna—and its seductive textures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Towering at 300 feet tall, the crumbly ocher cliffs of Palos Verdes Estates boast breathtaking views of Los Angeles’ coastline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

The cat, the ocher paw prints suggest, was more reckless, so residents in Fukuyama have been warned to be careful should they run across it.

From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2024

Not sure why but what I do know is that these teams hate each ocher.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023

Beside it was a photo of the same spot, though the paper had turned ocher with age, with a boy hanging upside down from those same branches while Ishtar laughed at his antics.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

As a precaution against attack by hostile forces in the dark, the tribesmen recruited a "home guard" of Samburu, armed with spears and with hair ochered to frighten off any evil-minded people.

From Time Magazine Archive