Color Definition

kŭlər

colored, coloring, colors

noun

colors

The sensation resulting from stimulation of the retina of the eye by light waves of certain lengths.

Webster's New World

That aspect of things that is caused by differing qualities of the light reflected or emitted by them, definable in terms of the observer or of the light, as:

American Heritage

The property of reflecting light of a particular wavelength: the distinct colors of the spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, each of these shading into the next; the primary colors of the spectrum are red, green, and blue, the light beams of which variously combined can produce any of the colors.

Webster's New World

The general appearance of the skin, especially as an indication of good health.

Regained her color after a few days' rest.

American Heritage

Any color other than black, white, or gray; chromatic color: color is distinguished by the qualities of hue (as red, brown, yellow, etc.), lightness (for pigmented surfaces) or brightness (for light itself), and saturation (the degree of intensity of a hue)

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
colour
verisimilitude
plausibleness
plausibility
creditableness
creditability
credibleness
credibility
believability
disguised as
pretending to be
under the pretext of
faint
blanch
become pale

Antonyms:

verb

colored, coloring, colors

To become colored.

Webster's New World

To change color, as ripening fruit.

Webster's New World

To give a pleasing, convincing, or reasonable appearance to; make plausible.

Webster's New World

To exert an influence on; affect.

The war colored the soldier's life.

American Heritage

To give color to; impregnate or cover with color, as with paint, stain, or dye.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
whiten
pale
grow ashen
fade
deaden
bleach
represent
be truthful
decolorize
decolor
discolor

adjective

Designating or of a sports commentator who supplies color.

Webster's New World

Conveying color, as opposed to shades of gray.

Color television and movies were considered a great improvement over black and white.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
black-and-white

idiom

call to the colors

call or order to serve in the armed forces
a bugle call for the daily flag-raising and flag-lowering ceremonies

Webster's New World

change color

to become pale
to blush or flush

Webster's New World

lose color

to become pale

Webster's New World

of color

who is nonwhite; now esp., who is black
a woman of color

Webster's New World

show one's (true) colors

to reveal one's true self
to make one's opinions, position, etc. known

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Color

Noun

Singular:

color

Plural:

colors

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Color

call to the colors
change color
lose color
of color
show one's (true) colors
under color of

Origin of Color

Middle English colo(u)r, from Anglo-Norman colur, from Old French colour, color, from Latin color, from Old Latin colos "covering", from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to cover, conceal”). Akin to Latin cēlō (“I hide, conceal”). Displaced Middle English blee (“color”), from Old English blēo. More at blee.

From Wiktionary
In the US, the spelling color is used to match the spelling of the word's Latin etymon, and to make all derivatives consistent (colorimeter, colorize, colorless, etc). Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, the spelling colour has been retained.

From Wiktionary
Middle English colour from Old French from Latin color kel-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition