ocher

or o·chre

[ oh-ker ]

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.

adjective

1. of the color of ocher.

verb (used with object)

, o·chered, o·cher·ing.

1. to color or mark with ocher.

ocher

/ ˈəʊkə; ˈəʊkrɔɪd /

noun

1. the US spelling of ochre

Derived Forms

• ˈocherous, adjective
• ochroid, adjective

Other Words From

• ocher·ous ocher·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ocher¹

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

Example Sentences

Outside in the rose garden, approximately 2,500 bushes harbor flowers chosen to match the warm ocher tones of the sandstone building.

From Washington Post

The 45,500-year-old ocher painting depicts a Sulawesi warty pig, which appears to be watching a standoff between two other pigs.

From Ars Technica

Every feature was sharp and the colors were vivid; ocher, green, and silver gleaming with light.

From Project Gutenberg

Female—The female is much more of an ocher brown than the male, and without the stripe on the neck or the lead color of the bill.

From Project Gutenberg

She shall be veiled to her eyes, with a bit of ocher on her forehead.

From Project Gutenberg

Upper wing-coverts and secondaries fuscous-black (freshly molted feathers blacker) narrowly edged with olive-ocher.

From Project Gutenberg

It is made of white and reddish-brown bark, and sometimes the white ones are colored with red ocher.

From Project Gutenberg