colour

Word family  noun colour/color colouring/coloring coloration colourant/colorant colourist/colorist adjective coloured/colored discoloured/discolored colourful/colorful ≠ colourless/colorless multicoloured colour/color verb colour/color adverb colourfully/colorfully ≠ colourlessly/colorlessly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Human, Colours & sounds, Colours

col·our1 British English, color American English /ˈkʌlə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  red/blue/green etc 红色/蓝色/绿色等 [countable]COLOUR/COLOR red, blue, yellow, green, brown, purple etc 颜色 What colour dress did you buy? 你买的连衣裙是什么颜色的？ What colour are his eyes? 他的眼睛是什么颜色？ The pens come in a wide range of colours. 这种钢笔有很多种颜色。light/bright/pastel etc colour I love wearing bright colours. 我喜欢穿亮色的衣服。reddish-brown/yellowy-green/deep blue etc colour The walls were a lovely reddish-brown color. 墙是漂亮的红棕色。2  colour in general 颜色的统称 [uncountable] (also colours)COLOUR/COLOR the appearance of something as a result of the way it reflects (=throws back) light, especially when its appearance is very bright or is made up of a lot of different colours 色泽，色彩 Bright bold accessories are the quickest way to add colour to a room. 色彩明亮、线条鲜明的装饰物是给房间增添色彩的最直接的方法。in colour The wine was almost pink in colour (=was almost pink). 这种葡萄酒几乎呈粉红色。blaze/riot/mass of colour (=lots of different bright colours) 色彩斑斓 In summer the gardens are a blaze of colour. 到了夏天，这些花园里五彩缤纷。 a splash of colour (=a small area of a bright colour) 一点亮丽色彩 The sky began to slowly change colour. 天空慢慢地变了色。 the fall colors (=the colours of the trees in autumn) 秋天的色彩3  SB’s race 某人的种族 [countable, uncountable]HBH how dark or light someone’s skin is, which shows which race they belong to 〔不同人种的〕肤色 Everyone has a right to a job, regardless of their race, sex, or colour. 不论种族，不论性别，不论肤色，人人都有获得工作的权利。 people of all colors 各种肤色的人 the continuing battle against colour prejudice 反对肤色偏见的持续斗争 → coloured24  people/women/students etc of color especially American English people, women etc who are not white 有色人种的人/女性/学生等 I’m the only person of color in my class. 我是我们班上唯一一个有色人种的人。5  substance 物质 [countable, uncountable]COLOUR/COLOR a substance such as paint or dye that makes something red, blue, yellow etc 颜料；染料 Wash the garment separately, as the colour may run (=come out when washed). 这件衣服可能会褪色，要分开来洗。 jams that contain no artificial colours or preservatives 不含人工色素和防腐剂的果酱lip/nail/eye colour our new range of eyeshadows and lip colours 我们新的眼影和唇彩系列6  in (full) colour AMTa television programme, film, or photograph that is in colour contains colours such as red, green, and blue rather than just black and white 〔电视节目、电影、照片等〕彩色的 OPP in black and white All the recipes in the book are illustrated in full colour. 书中所有菜谱都配有彩色插图。7  SB’s face 某人的脸 [uncountable]HBH if you have some colour in your face, your face is pink or red, usually because you are healthy or embarrassed 血色；脸上的红晕 You look a lot better today. At least you’ve got a bit of colour now. 今天你看起来好多了，至少现在你脸上有了点血色。 One of the girls giggled nervously as colour flooded her cheeks (=her cheeks suddenly went very pink or red). 有个女孩紧张地咯咯笑了起来，脸涨得通红。 He stared at her, the colour draining from his face. 他盯住她看，脸色越来越白。8  STH interesting 趣事 [uncountable]INTERESTING interesting and exciting details or qualities that someone or something has 生动，趣味 The old market is lively, full of colour and activity. 那个旧市场热闹非凡，充满趣味和活力。 a travel writer in search of local colour 寻求地方特色的一位旅行作家add/give colour to something (=make something more interesting) 使某事更生动有趣 Intelligent use of metaphors can add colour to your writing. 巧妙地使用隐喻可以使文章更加生动。9  lend/give colour to something PROBABLYto make something, especially something unusual, appear likely or true 使某事看起来似有可能，使某事显得可信[真实] We have new evidence that lends colour to the accusation of fraud. 我们有新的证据支持对欺诈罪的指控。10  off colour a) [not before noun] British EnglishILL someone who is off colour is feeling slightly ill 不舒服的，有病的，健康状况不佳的 b) [usually before noun] especially American EnglishRUDE/OBSCENE off-colour jokes, stories etc are rude and often about sex 〔玩笑、故事等〕粗俗的，下流的，龌龊的，色情的11  colours [plural] a) COLOUR/COLORthe colours that are used to represent a team, school, club, country etc 〔代表团队、学校、俱乐部、国家等的〕标志色club/team/school colours a cap in the team colours 有球队标志色的一顶帽子 Australia’s national colours are gold and green. 澳大利亚的标志色是金色和绿色。 b) British EnglishSUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLANSUPPORT A TEAM OR PLAYER a flag, shirt etc that shows that someone or something belongs to or supports a particular team, school, club, or country 〔表示属于或支持某团队、学校、俱乐部或国家的〕旗帜；服装12  see the colour of somebody’s money spokenPAY FOR to have definite proof that someone has enough money to pay for something 确信某人有支付能力 ‘A whiskey, please.’ ‘Let’s see the color of your money first.’ “请来杯威士忌。” “让我们先看看你是不是有足够的钱。” → with flying colours at flying1(2), → nail your colours to the mast at nail2(6), → your true colours at true1(13)n COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa red/green/blue etc colourOur door was painted a bright green colour.a reddish/greenish/bluish etc colour (=slightly red, green, blue etc)The glass used for bottles is often a greenish colour.a bluey/yellowy/browny colour (=a shade of blue, yellow etc)I like bluey colours best.a bright/strong colour (=strong and noticeable)Bright colours look good in strong sunlight.a bold/vivid/vibrant colour (=bright in a way that is exciting)His paintings are known for their use of bold colours.a rich colour (=strong and beautiful or expensive-looking)I love the rich colours in oriental rugs.a dark colour (=more like black than white)People tend to wear dark colours to work.a deep colour (=dark and attractive)a neutral colour (=one that matches other colours easily, for example white or cream)a light/pale colour (=not dark or strong)Light colours make a room look larger.a pastel colour (=pale blue, pink, yellow or green)a warm colour (=pleasant and containing some red, yellow, or orange)The old farmhouse is beautifully decorated with warm colours.a soft colour (=pleasant and not very strong)a subtle colour (=pleasant, not strong, and a little unusual)Italian sweaters come in lovely subtle colours.a loud colour (=very bright in a way that looks unpleasant or funny)a gaudy/garish colour (=loud and usually showing bad taste)contrasting colours (=ones that are different from each other in a way that looks attractive)You need to have one or two contrasting colours in the room.complementary colours (=ones that look nice together)Plant the flowers in patches in complementary colours.a matching colour (=one that is the same as something else)I bought some gloves and a scarf in a matching colour.a primary colour (=red, yellow, or blue)Why are children’s toys always in primary colours?verbsa colour matches something (=it is the same colour)The colour in this tin of paint doesn’t match the walls.a colours clashes (with something) (=is different from something in a way that is unattractive)Do you think the colour of this tie clashes with my shirt?a colour fades (=loses colour and brightness)The colour of the curtains had faded in the sun.colour + NOUNa colour scheme (=the colours that you use in a room, painting etc)Have you decided on a colour scheme?a colour combination/combination of colours (=the colours that exist or that you put together)In autumn the leaves create lovely colour combinations.a colour range/range of colours (=a number of colours that you can choose from)There’s a wide colour range to choose from. THESAURUScolour red, blue, yellow etc 颜色，色彩Blue is my favourite colour. 蓝色是我最喜欢的颜色。Matisse was famous for his use of colour. 马蒂斯以他对色彩的运用而著称。shade a particular type of a colour 色度，颜色深浅The dress is a light shade of pink. 这条连衣裙是淡粉色的。He uses different shades of green. 他使用深浅不同的绿色。hue /hjuː/ literary or technical a particular colour or shade of a colour 色度，色调Her face had lost its golden hue. 她脸上的光彩已经褪去。tint a small amount of a colour in something that is mostly another colour 淡色He wears sunglasses that have a pinky-orange tint. 他戴着一副略带桃红色的太阳镜。tone one of the many different shades of a colour, each slightly darker, lighter, brighter etc than the next 色调，明暗Carpets in neutral tones give a feeling of space. 素净色调的地毯给人一种宽敞的感觉。dark colours 深色dark used about a colour that is strong and fairly close to black 深色的，暗色的a dark blue suit 深蓝色的套装His eyes are dark brown. 他的眼睛是深棕色的。deep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive 深的〔常用于表示颜色漂亮〕His eyes were a beautiful deep blue. 他的眼睛是深蓝色的,很迷人。deep red lips 深红色的嘴唇rich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth 浓艳的〔指给人温暖的感觉〕The walls were painted a rich red colour. 墙壁漆成了浓艳的红色。light colours 浅色light used about a colour that is not dark 浅色的，淡色的a light blue sweater 浅蓝色的毛衣His T-shirt was light green. 他的T恤衫是浅绿色的。pale used about a colour that is very light 颜色非常淡的He has very pale blue eyes. 他的眼睛是很淡很淡的蓝色。soft used about a colour that is light in a way that is attractive because it is not too obvious 柔和的〔指色彩不显眼却很悦目〕She wears soft colours such as cream, which match her complexion. 她的衣服是淡黄色等柔和的颜色，和她的肤色相配。pastel used about a colour that has a lot of white in it 淡色的，泛白的The girls wore pastel pink sundresses. 姑娘们穿着淡粉色的太阳裙。bright colours 鲜亮的颜色bright used about a colour that is strong and easy to see 鲜艳的，鲜亮的The front door was painted bright red. 前门漆成了鲜红色。brilliant/vivid used about a colour that is very bright 明亮的，鲜明的I looked out at the brilliant blue sky. 我眺望着明亮的蓝天。vivid red flowers 鲜红色的花colourful British English, colorful American English used about things that have many different bright colours 色彩丰富鲜艳的There were window boxes full of colourful flowers. 窗台花盆箱里开满了五彩缤纷的鲜花。multicoloured British English, multicolored American English used about things that have a pattern of many different bright colours 有多种不同颜色的，五彩斑斓的A multicoloured flag waved in the midday sun. 一面五彩旗在正午的阳光下飘扬。gaudy/garish too brightly coloured, in a way that is unattractive 俗艳的，花哨的The wallpaper was much too gaudy for me. 这墙纸对我来说太俗艳了。a garish orange tie 一条花哨的橙色领带

Examples from the Corpus

colour• Print quality was very good, with crisp, sharp text and well balanced colour graphics.• I like nice bright colours like yellow and pink• The chameleon is able to change colour to protect itself.• The yellow tomatoes have a standard tomato flavour and provide an excellent colour contrast in salads.• What's your favourite colour?• Keep drinking until it pales in colour.• One of the most popular has been carnelian, which owes its reddish colour to the presence of iron oxide.• Also its high resolution colour display means that the reader can use computer graphics to enhance articles or illustrations within the publication.• River Island's creative combinations of design, rich colour and new fabrics build a versatile wardrobe for autumn/winter.• Look carefully at the rear door. It's not quite the same colour as the rest of the car.• You can't judge people by the colour of their skin.• I was thinking of the colour of her hair: Daniel, you may remember, alluded to her as a redhead.• What colour is his hair?reddish-brown/yellowy-green/deep blue etc colour• It was a deep blue colour and had a matching hat like a tiny trilby, decorated with a feather.change colour• The ocean had so uch plankton in it that the sea itself had changed colour.• Otherwise you may find that you've inadvertently changed colour when the carriage is at the left.• It changes colour according to how the light strikes it and the effect is genuinely stunning.• Pieces of abstract art do not suddenly change colour because we have moved them from artificial light to daylight.• You can mark the punchcard to tell you when to change colour.• Fibre optics, which change colour in your hands.• Once colour is knitted at a time and you change colour every two rows.colour prejudice• Many had also learnt from bitter experience that a good education was needed in the continuing battle against colour prejudice.• He spoke on the evils of race and colour prejudice and he rarely failed to mention the issue of slavery.lip/nail/eye colour• Sexes can be told apart by bill and eye colour.• A warm brown will enhance any eye colour.• The phenotypic effect of some particular gene might be, say, green eye colour.• In practice most genes have more than one phenotypic effect, say green eye colour and curly hair.• Tall, same shade of hair, same eye colour.got ... colour• Muggins got the colour separations done for that at art school.add/give colour to something• Too many evergreens can look boring, so plant just a few choice ones to add colour to dull areas.colour2 British English, color American English ●●○ verb  1  [transitive]COLOUR/COLOR to change the colour of something, especially by using dye 给…着色，为…染色 If I didn’t colour my hair I’d be totally grey. 我如果不染发的话，我的头发就全是花白的。 Colour the icing with a little green food colouring. 用一点点绿色食物色素给糖霜着色。colour something red/blue etc Sunset came and coloured the sky a brilliant red. 日落时分，天空被染成了绚烂的红色。2  [intransitive, transitive] (also colour in)PAINT to use coloured pencils to put colours inside the lines of a picture 〔用彩笔〕（为…）涂色，（为…）着色，（为…）填色 On the back page is a picture for your child to colour in. 背面是张图画，给你的孩子填色。 She has no idea how to colour a picture – she just scribbles all over it. 她不懂得怎么给图画填色，只是满纸乱涂。3  [intransitive] literaryEMBARRASSED when someone colours, their face becomes redder because they are embarrassed 〔因尴尬而〕脸红 SYN blush Her eyes suddenly met his and she coloured slightly. 她的目光突然和他相遇，她微微有点脸红了。4  colour somebody’s judgment/opinions/attitudes etc EFFECT/INFLUENCEto influence the way someone thinks about something, especially so that they become less fair or reasonable 使某人的判断/观点/态度等带有偏见 In my position, I can’t afford to let my judgment be coloured by personal feelings. 我在这个位置上是不能让个人感情来影响我的判断的。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

colour• Both are easy to colour and mould into decorations.• Marigold petals were once used for colouring butter and cheese.• How can he make fair and impartial decisions when political loyalties colour his judgement?• Last time I tried to colour my hair it turned red!• The dyes will colour the flower.• It was a beautiful afternoon and Nature was colouring the Moor with breathtaking tints.colour ... hair• About as tall as Mum. Colour of hair?• I notice his increased joviality and the way he's started colouring his hair.• In practice most genes have more than one phenotypic effect, say green eye colour and curly hair.• She had the best dress sense of any girl in Benedict's and a passion for altering the colour of her hair.• You've changed the style and the colour of my hair.• I was thinking of the colour of her hair: Daniel, you may remember, alluded to her as a redhead.• Used in the right concentrations, they colour hair for up to six washes and add a protective film.• Body-building Many women begin colouring their hair in their mid-30s.colour3 British English, color American English adjective  colour television/photograph/printer etc COLOUR/COLORa colour television, photograph etc produces or shows pictures in colour rather than in black, white, and grey 彩色电视机/照片/打印机等 → black and white a large color TV 一台大彩色电视机 Please ask for our free colour brochure. 请索取我们的免费彩色小册子。

Examples from the Corpus

colour• Does your new computer have a colour monitor?• You need a colour television to fully appreciate nature programmes.

col·our1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1colour2 verbcolour3 adjectiveLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

brown, purple red, etc blue, yellow, Corpus green,

colour

I

col·our¹ S1 W1 British English, color American English /ˈkʌlə $ -ər/ noun1.  RED/BLUE/GREEN ETC  [countable] red, blue, yellow, green, brown, purple etc:
    What colour dress did you buy?
    What colour are his eyes?
    The pens come in a wide range of colours.
    light/bright/pastel etc colour
    I love wearing bright colours.
    reddish-brown/yellowy-green/deep blue etc colour
    The walls were a lovely reddish-brown color.
2.  COLOUR IN GENERAL  [uncountable] (also colours) the appearance of something as a result of the way it reflects (=throws back) light, especially when its appearance is very bright or is made up of a lot of different colours:
    Bright bold accessories are the quickest way to add colour to a room.
    in colour
    The wine was almost pink in colour (=was almost pink).
    blaze/riot/mass of colour (=lots of different bright colours)
    In summer the gardens are a blaze of colour.
    a splash of colour (=a small area of a bright colour)
    The sky began to slowly change colour.
    the fall colors (=the colours of the trees in autumn)
3.  SB’S RACE  [uncountable and countable] how dark or light someone’s skin is, which shows which race they belong to:
    Everyone has a right to a job, regardless of their race, sex, or colour.
    people of all colors
    the continuing battle against colour prejudice ⇨ coloured²
4. people/women/students etc of color especially American English people, women etc who are not white:
    I’m the only person of color in my class.
5.  SUBSTANCE  [uncountable and countable] a substance such as paint or dye that makes something red, blue, yellow etc:
    Wash the garment separately, as the colour may run (=come out when washed).
    jams that contain no artificial colours or preservatives
    lip/nail/eye colour
    our new range of eyeshadows and lip colours
6. in (full) colour a television programme, film, or photograph that is in colour contains colours such as red, green, and blue rather than just black and white
   OPP  in black and white:
    All the recipes in the book are illustrated in full colour.
7.  SB’S FACE  [uncountable] if you have some colour in your face, your face is pink or red, usually because you are healthy or embarrassed:
    You look a lot better today. At least you’ve got a bit of colour now.
    One of the girls giggled nervously as colour flooded her cheeks (=her cheeks suddenly went very pink or red).
    He stared at her, the colour draining from his face.
8.  SOMETHING INTERESTING  [uncountable] interesting and exciting details or qualities that someone or something has:
    The old market is lively, full of colour and activity.
    a travel writer in search of local colour
    add/give colour to something (=make something more interesting)
    Intelligent use of metaphors can add colour to your writing.
9. lend/give colour to something to make something, especially something unusual, appear likely or true:
    We have new evidence that lends colour to the accusation of fraud.
10. off colour
  a. [not before noun] British English someone who is off colour is feeling slightly ill
  b. [usually before noun] especially American English off-colour jokes, stories etc are rude and often about sex
11. colours [plural]
  a. the colours that are used to represent a team, school, club, country etc
    club/team/school colours
    a cap in the team colours
    Australia’s national colours are gold and green.
  b. British English a flag, shirt etc that shows that someone or something belongs to or supports a particular team, school, club, or country
12. see the colour of sb’s money spoken to have definite proof that someone has enough money to pay for something:
    ‘A whiskey, please.’ ‘Let’s see the color of your money first.’
⇨ with flying colours at flying¹(2), ⇨ nail your colours to the mast at nail²(5), ⇨ your true colours at true¹(13)
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ a red/green/blue etc colour Our door was painted a bright green colour.
   ▪ a reddish/greenish/bluish etc colour (=slightly red, green, blue etc) The glass used for bottles is often a greenish colour.
   ▪ a bluey/yellowy/browny colour (=a shade of blue, yellow etc) I like bluey colours best.
   ▪ a bright/strong colour (=strong and noticeable) Bright colours look good in strong sunlight.
   ▪ a bold/vivid/vibrant colour (=bright in a way that is exciting) His paintings are known for their use of bold colours.
   ▪ a rich colour (=strong and beautiful or expensive-looking) I love the rich colours in oriental rugs.
   ▪ a dark colour (=more like black than white) People tend to wear dark colours to work.
   ▪ a deep colour (=dark and attractive)
   ▪ a neutral colour (=one that matches other colours easily, for example white or cream)
   ▪ a light/pale colour (=not dark or strong) Light colours make a room look larger.
   ▪ a pastel colour (=pale blue, pink, yellow or green)
   ▪ a warm colour (=pleasant and containing some red, yellow, or orange) The old farmhouse is beautifully decorated with warm colours.
   ▪ a soft colour (=pleasant and not very strong)
   ▪ a subtle colour (=pleasant, not strong, and a little unusual) Italian sweaters come in lovely subtle colours.
   ▪ a loud colour (=very bright in a way that looks unpleasant or funny)
   ▪ a gaudy/garish colour (=loud and usually showing bad taste)
   ▪ contrasting colours (=ones that are different from each other in a way that looks attractive) You need to have one or two contrasting colours in the room.
   ▪ complementary colours (=ones that look nice together) Plant the flowers in patches in complementary colours.
   ▪ a matching colour (=one that is the same as something else) I bought some gloves and a scarf in a matching colour.
   ▪ a primary colour (=red, yellow, or blue) Why are children’s toys always in primary colours?
■ verbs
   ▪ a colour matches something (=it is the same colour) The colour in this tin of paint doesn’t match the walls.
   ▪ a colours clashes (with something) (=is different from something in a way that is unattractive) Do you think the colour of this tie clashes with my shirt?
   ▪ a colour fades (=loses colour and brightness) The colour of the curtains had faded in the sun.
■ colour + NOUN
   ▪ a colour scheme (=the colours that you use in a room, painting etc) Have you decided on a colour scheme?
   ▪ a colour combination/combination of colours (=the colours that exist or that you put together) In autumn the leaves create lovely colour combinations.
   ▪ a colour range/range of colours (=a number of colours that you can choose from) There’s a wide colour range to choose from.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ colour red, blue, yellow etc: Blue is my favourite colour. | Matisse was famous for his use of colour.
   ▪ shade a particular type of a colour: The dress is a light shade of pink. | He uses different shades of green.
   ▪ hue /hjuː/ literary or technical a particular colour or shade of a colour: Her face had lost its golden hue.
   ▪ tint a small amount of a colour in something that is mostly another colour: He wears sunglasses that have a pinky-orange tint.
   ▪ tone one of the many different shades of a colour, each slightly darker, lighter, brighter etc than the next: Carpets in neutral tones give a feeling of space.
■ dark colours
   ▪ dark used about a colour that is strong and fairly close to black: a dark blue suit | His eyes are dark brown.
   ▪ deep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive: His eyes were a beautiful deep blue. | deep red lips
   ▪ rich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth: The walls were painted a rich red colour.
■ light colours
   ▪ light used about a colour that is not dark: a light blue sweater | His T-shirt was light green.
   ▪ pale used about a colour that is very light: He has very pale blue eyes.
   ▪ soft used about a colour that is light in a way that is attractive because it is not too obvious: She wears soft colours such as cream, which match her complexion.
   ▪ pastel used about a colour that has a lot of white in it: The girls wore pastel pink sundresses.
■ bright colours
   ▪ bright used about a colour that is strong and easy to see: The front door was painted bright red.
   ▪ brilliant/vivid used about a colour that is very bright: I looked out at the brilliant blue sky. | vivid red flowers
   ▪ colourful British English, colorful American English used about things that have many different bright colours: There were window boxes full of colourful flowers.
   ▪ multicoloured British English, multicolored American English used about things that have a pattern of many different bright colours: A multicoloured flag waved in the midday sun.
   ▪ gaudy/garish too brightly coloured, in a way that is unattractive: The wallpaper was much too gaudy for me. | a garish orange tie

II

colour² British English, color American English verb1. [transitive] to change the colour of something, especially by using dye:
    If I didn’t colour my hair I’d be totally grey.
    Colour the icing with a little green food colouring.
    colour something red/blue etc
    Sunset came and coloured the sky a brilliant red.
2. [intransitive and transitive] (also colour in) to use coloured pencils to put colours inside the lines of a picture:
    On the back page is a picture for your child to colour in.
    She has no idea how to colour a picture – she just scribbles all over it.
3. [intransitive] literary when someone colours, their face becomes redder because they are embarrassed
   SYN  blush:
    Her eyes suddenly met his and she coloured slightly.
4. colour sb’s judgement/opinions/attitudes etc to influence the way someone thinks about something, especially so that they become less fair or reasonable:
    In my position, I can’t afford to let my judgement be coloured by personal feelings.

III

colour³ British English, color American English adjectivecolour television/photograph/printer etc a colour television, photograph etc produces or shows pictures in colour rather than in black, white, and grey ⇨ black and white:
    a large color TV
    Please ask for our free colour brochure.