cool-colored
|cool-col-ored|
🇺🇸
/ˈkuːlˌkʌlərd/
🇬🇧
/ˈkuːlˌkʌləd/
dominated by cool hues
Etymology
'cool-colored' originates from Modern English as a compound of the adjective 'cool' and the past-participial adjective 'colored', where 'cool' ultimately meant 'of low temperature' or (by extension) 'bluish in tone' and 'colored' meant 'having color'.
'cool' comes from Old English 'cōl' meaning 'cold'; 'colored' derives from Old French (e.g. 'colorer') and Latin 'colorāre' from 'color' meaning 'hue'. The modern compound formed in English by combining these elements (cool + colored) to describe color temperature and tint.
Initially, 'cool' primarily meant 'of low temperature' (Old English); over time the sense extended to color temperature (bluish tones). 'Cool-colored' therefore evolved to mean 'having cool hues' rather than a literal temperature quality.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having colors that are on the cool side of the color spectrum (e.g., blues, greens, violets); dominated by cool hues.
The artist chose a cool-colored palette for the seascape.
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Adjective 2
describing lighting, fabrics, or finishes that appear to have a cool tint or cast (often producing a crisp, clinical, or subdued effect).
Under the gallery lights the sculptures looked particularly cool-colored and stark.
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Last updated: 2025/11/07 21:42