color
1. col.or or col.our \'k*l-*r\ n [ME colour, fr. OF, fr. L color; akin to L
celare to conceal] chiefly Brit often attrib - more at HELL 1a: a
phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, gray) or visual perception that
enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects 1b: the aspect of
objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue,
lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation
for light sources - used in this sense as the psychological basis for
definitions of color in this dictionary 1c: a hue as contrasted with black,
white, or gray 2a: an outward often deceptive show : APPEARANCE 2b: a
legal claim to or appearance of a right, authority, or office 2c: a
pretense offered as justification : PRETEXT 2d: an appearance of
authenticity : PLAUSIBILITY 3: complexion tint : 3a: the tint
characteristic of good health 3b: BLUSH 4a: vividness or variety of
effects of language 4b: LOCAL COLOR 5a: a distinctively colored badge or
device or distinctively colored clothi ng - usu. used in pl. pl 5b1:
STAND, POINT OF VIEW 5b2: CHARACTER, NATURE - usu. used in pl. 6: the use
or combination of colors 7a: an identifying flag, ensign, or pennant -
usu. used in pl. pl 7b: a navy or nautical salute to a flag being hoisted
or lowered pl 7c: ARMED FORCES 8: VITALITY, INTEREST 9: something used
to give color : PIGMENT 10: tonal quality in music 11a: skin pigmentation
other than white characteristic of race 11b: the members of a race or
group with such pigmentation; esp : (MNEGROES 12: a small particle of gold
in a gold miner's pan after washing LOR is the general term for any quality
of light distinguishable by the visual sense, but it specifically applies
to the property of things seen as red, yellow, blue, and so on as
distinguished from black, gray, or white; CHROMA is a technical term for
this specific sense; HUE usu. implies some modification of a finer
discrimination of a primary color; SHADE usu. applies to a color modified
toward black, TINT to one modified toward white, but COLOR, HUE, SHADE, and
TINT are often interchangeable; TINGE suggests an interfusion or overlying
stain of one color over another background color SYN syn CHROMA, HUE,
SHADE, TINT, TINGE: CO
2. color or colour \'k*l-(*-)rin\ \'k*l-*r-*r\ vb or col.or.ing chiefly
Brit 1a: to give color to 1b: to change the color of : PAINT 2: to
change as if by dyeing or painting : as 2a: MISREPRESENT, DISTORT 2b:
GLOSS, EXCUSE {~ a lie} 2c: INFLUENCE, AFFECT : to take on color; specif
: BLUSH - col.or.er n
Webster's English Dictionary