colour
|col-our|
🇺🇸
/ˈkʌlɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈkʌlə/
visual property: hue / appearance
Etymology
'colour' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'colour', ultimately from Latin 'color', where 'color' meant 'a covering, hue, or appearance'.
'colour' came into Middle English from Old French 'colour' (also spelled 'colour'/'colur'), which in turn derives from Latin 'color'. The modern English spelling 'colour' reflects the Old French form; American English later adopted the simplified spelling 'color'.
Initially, it meant 'hue or appearance', and over time this core meaning has remained but expanded to include pigments, dyes, symbolic colours (e.g., team colours), and metaphorical senses such as bias or influence.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property of an object or light source that is perceived as hue, saturation, and brightness (e.g., red, blue); a particular hue or shade.
The colour of the sky was a deep blue.
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Noun 2
a substance (pigment or dye) used to give an object a particular colour.
She bought several pots of colour for the mural.
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Noun 3
distinctive hues or emblems associated with a group, team, nation, or uniform (often plural: 'colours').
The team's colours are red and white.
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Verb 1
to change the colour of something, especially by dyeing or painting.
They colour the fabric before cutting it.
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Verb 2
to influence, affect, or distort (someone's perception, account, or judgment); to give a particular slant or bias.
Her comments coloured my impression of the meeting.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 09:49