ocher
Americannoun
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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.
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the color of this, ranging from pale yellow to an orangish or reddish yellow.
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Obsolete. money, especially gold coin.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ocher
1350–1400; Middle English oker < Old French ocre < Latin ōchrā < Greek ṓchrā yellow ocher
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.
See Examples For:
Burnt-sienna vines twist through simmering ocher air, while flora sprout through these roiling masses in hues of chromium oxide and cadmium green.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 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 bodies of the dead themselves were often decorated with red ocher and other pigments.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Bettiol will wear the tour leader’s ocher jersey in the first road stage on Wednesday.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 17, 2023
The walls of the huts were decorated with black, red and ocher designs, while the doors were carved with crosshatched decorations.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
