piceous
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or resembling pitch.
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inflammable; combustible.
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Zoology. black or nearly black as pitch.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of piceous
1640–50; < Latin piceus made of pitch, equivalent to pice- (stem of pix ) pitch 2 + -us adj. suffix; see -ous
Explanation
A black cat whose fur appears brownish in the sunlight is technically piceous, or blackish brown. Piceous is most commonly used in science to describe the glossy, dark shells of certain insects. Piceous is primarily found in biological and geological descriptions. Derived from the Latin word for "pitch," it describes a deep, brownish black, usually with a slight sheen. You would likely use it to describe the dark hue of mineral-rich soil or the obsidian-like shell of a beetle, rather than everyday items like chocolate cake or hair color. It is a precise term for when something isn't quiet "true black," but instead has a warm, dark undertone.
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.
Thorax with a broad piceous stripe; abdomen piceous.
From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various
Deep black, shining, very minutely punctured; head smooth; antennæ piceous; posterior tarsi whitish, with black tips; wings limpid, veins whitish, black towards the base; halteres snow-white.
From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various
Head smooth; antennæ piceous; tarsi whitish; wings blackish cinereous, veins black; halteres snow-white.
From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various
Coal-black, hardly shining; antennæ piceous; thorax and abdomen very minutely punctured; thorax with a stripe of cinereous tomentum; posterior tarsi white; wings blackish, veins black.
From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various
DESCRIPTION.—Called melanodon from the remarkable colouring of its teeth, which are piceous and white-tipped; colour uniform fuscous, scarcely paler beneath.
From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage
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.
