colour
col·our [colour colours coloured colouring] (especially US color)noun, verb BrE [ˈkʌlə(r)] NAmE [ˈkʌlər]
noun
RED, GREEN, ETC.
1. countable, uncountable the appearance that things have that results from the way in which they reflect light. Red, orange and green are colours
• What's your favourite colour?
•bright/dark/light colours
•available in 12 different colours
•the colour of the sky
• Her hair is a reddish-brown colour.
•Foods which go through a factory process lose much of their colour, flavour and texture.
•The garden was a mass of colour.
2. uncountable (usually before another noun)the use of all the colours, not only black and white
•a colour TV
•colour photography/printing
•a full-colour brochure
• Do you dream in colour?
OF SKIN
3. uncountable, countable the colour of a person's skin, when it shows the race they belong to
•discrimination on the grounds of race, colour or religion
• (especially NAmE)a person/man/woman of colour (= who is not white)
OF FACE
4. uncountable a red or pink colour in sb's face, especially when it shows that they look healthy or that they are embarrassed
• The fresh air brought colour to their cheeks.
•Colour flooded her face when she thought of what had happened.
•His face was drained of colour (= he looked pale and ill).
SUBSTANCE
5. countable, uncountable a substance that is used to give colour to sth
•a semi-permanent hair colour that lasts six to eight washes
see also ↑watercolour
INTERESTING DETAILS
6. uncountable interesting and exciting details or qualities
• The old town is full of colour and attractions.
• Her acting added warmth and colour to the production.
•to add/give/lend colour to sth (= make it brighter, more interesting, etc.)
see also ↑local colour
OF TEAM/COUNTRY, ETC.
7. coloursplural the particular colours that are used on clothes, flags, etc. to represent a team, school, political party or country
•Red and white are the team colours.
•Spain's national colours
• (figurative)There are people of different political colours on the committee.
8. coloursplural (especially BrE)a flag, ↑badge, etc. that represents a team, country, ship, etc
•Most buildings had a flagpole with the national colours flying.
•sailing under the French colours
more at with flying colours at ↑flying adj., lend colour to sth at ↑lend n., nail your colours to the mast at ↑nail v., your true colours at ↑true adj.
see also ↑off colour
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French colour (noun), colourer (verb), from Latin color (noun), colorare (verb).
Thesaurus:
colour (BrE) (AmE color)noun C, U
•What's your favourite colour?
shade • • tint • • tinge • |literary technical hue •
a bright/vivid/vibrant/dark/deep colour/shade/hue
a pale/pastel/soft/subtle/delicate colour/shade/hue
have a colour/shade/tint/tinge/hue
Synonyms:
colour
shade • hue • tint • tinge
These words all describe the appearance of things, resulting from the way in which they reflect light.
colour/color • the appearance that things have, resulting from the way in which they reflect light. Red, green and blue are colours: ▪ What's your favourite colour? ◇ ▪ bright/dark/light colours
shade • a particular form of a colour, especially when describing how light or dark it is. Sky blue is a shade of blue.
hue • (literary or technical) a colour or a particular shade of a colour: ▪ His face took on an unhealthy, whitish hue.
tint • a shade or small amount of a particular colour; a faint colour covering a surface: ▪ leaves with red and gold autumn tints
tinge • a small amount of a colour: ▪ There was a pink tinge to the sky.
tint or tinge?
You can say: ▪ a reddish tint/tinge or: ▪ a tinge of red but not: a tint of red. Tint is often used in the plural, but tinge is almost always singular.
a warm/rich colour/shade/hue/tint
a bright/vivid/vibrant/dark/deep colour/shade/hue
a pale/pastel/soft/subtle/delicate colour/shade/hue
a light/strong/neutral/natural colour/shade
Example Bank:
•Dark colours suit you best.
•Gradually the colour returned to his cheeks.
•Green is a good colour on you.
•His asides lent colour to the story.
•His face drained of all colour.
•I could feel the colour rush to my cheeks.
•I like to wear bright colours.
•Is the film in colour or black and white?
•Simple patterns and solid colours are particularly effective.
•The book is lavishly illustrated in full colour.
•The chameleon changes colour to match its surroundings.
•The colour drained from her face when she saw him.
•The colour rose in his face.
•The curtains went a strange orange colour when we washed them.
•The flowers are pale blue in colour.
•The garden is a riot of colour in spring.
•The leaf colour ranges from dark green to almost brown.
•The scarf is available in six different colours.
•The silk cushions add colour to an otherwise dull room.
•The walk brought colour to her face.
•This colour runs, so wash the shirt separately.
•We have to choose a colour scheme for the dining room.
•What is her natural hair colour?
•You could tell she was excited by the heightened colour in her cheeks.
•You have a bit more colour in your cheeks now.
•Your shirt matches the colour of your eyes.
•a 24-page full-colour booklet
•a 48-page reference section in full colour
•a journalist in search of a bit of local colour
•cool colours like blue and gray
•people of colour
•the intense colour of new leaves
•to discriminate on the basis of colour
•Discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or colour was outlawed.
•Do you dream in colour?
•Foods which go through a factory process lose much of their colour, flavour and texture.
•These flowers certainly give the room a bit of colour.
•What's your favourite colour?
•a colour TV in every room
•a person/man/woman of colour
•a semi-permanent hair colour that lasts around six washes
•colour photography/printing
Idiom: ↑see the colour of somebody's money
Derived: ↑colour something in
verb
PUT COLOUR ON STH
1. intransitive, transitive to put colour on sth using paint, coloured pencils, etc
• The children love to draw and colour.
•a colouring book (= with pictures that you can add colour to)
•~ sth How long have you been colouring (= dyeing ) your hair?
•~ sth + adj. He drew a monster and coloured it green.
OF FACE
2. intransitive ~ (at sth) (of a person or their face)to become red with embarrassment
Syn: ↑blush
•She coloured at his remarks.
AFFECT
3. transitive ~ sth to affect sth, especially in a negative way
•This incident coloured her whole life.
•Don't let your judgement be coloured by personal feelings.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French colour (noun), colourer (verb), from Latin color (noun), colorare (verb).
Example Bank:
•His opinions are heavily coloured by his own experiences.
•Don't let your judgement be coloured by personal feelings.
•Everyone in the room stared at Gerry, and he coloured slightly.
•He drew a monster and coloured it red.
•He grinned at Mary, who coloured up instantly.
•How long have you been colouring your hair?
•I'll draw a tree and you can colour it in.
•Statements are always coloured by their context.
•Such incidents tend to colour public attitudes towards the police.
•The children love drawing and colouring.
•The experience moulded and coloured her whole life.
•a colouring book
See also: ↑color
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