colour
Appearance created by reflected light
How something looks because of the light it reflects, like red, blue, or green.
the colour of [something]
- The walls were painted a soft blue colour.
- Autumn leaves change colour from green to red and yellow.
- She wore a dress the same colour as the ocean.
- The artist mixed several paints to get the right colour.
- This gemstone has a unique colour that shifts in the light.
- My favourite colour is green.
- The sky is blue in the morning.
- Her shirt is red.
- This flower has a yellow colour.
Substance for producing a hue
A substance like paint or dye that makes things a certain colour.
[something] in [a colour]
- He bought some red colour to paint the fence.
- The printer is out of yellow colour.
- This fabric has been treated with natural colours.
- The chef added food colouring to the icing.
- I need blue colour for my picture.
- She used red colour to paint the car.
- We put green colour on the wall.
To add hue to something
To put paint, dye, or another substance on something to change its colour.
to colour [something] [adjective/noun]
- She coloured her hair dark brown.
- The children coloured in the pictures.
- He coloured the drawing with crayons.
- They coloured the eggs for Easter.
- I will colour my hair black.
- The boy colours the picture.
- We colour the eggs for the party.
Skin tone showing health or feelings
The look of someone's skin that shows their health or feelings.
- He lost all colour when he heard the bad news.
- Her cheeks were full of colour after the run.
- Illness had drained him of his usual healthy colour.
- Her face has no colour.
- He gets more colour after running.
- She lost her colour when she was afraid.
Distinctive quality or character
A special quality that makes something interesting or different.
- The writer's descriptions bring local colour to the story.
- His speech had a distinctly political colour.
- Travel adds cultural colour to one's life experiences.
- The book has local colour about the city.
- Her words have political colour.
- The trip gives more colour to his life.
- Base: colour
- Variant Spelling: color
- Plural: colour, colours
- Base: colour
- Variant Spelling: color
- 3rd Person Singular: colours
- Present Participle: colouring
- Past: coloured
- Spelling Variant: color Verb
- Spelling Variant: color Noun
add colour to [something]
1Make more interesting or lively
To make something more interesting and exciting.
- Her stories always add colour to our meetings.
- Music can add colour to any celebration.
off-colour
1Feeling slightly sick or not well
Feeling a little sick or not in good health.
- I'm feeling a bit off-colour today.
- He looked off-colour after eating too much.
show one's true colours
1Reveal real self or motives
To show what you are really like, especially your bad qualities.
- He seemed nice at first, but later he showed his true colours.
- She finally showed her true colours when she refused to help.
with flying colours
1Achieve great success easily
To succeed at something very well and easily.
- She passed the test with flying colours.
- They completed the project with flying colours.
in cold blood
1deliberately and without emotion (esp. killing)
To do something bad on purpose and without feeling sorry, especially killing someone.
- The victim was murdered in cold blood.
- The crime was committed in cold blood.
- He shot them in cold blood.
- He killed them in cold blood after planning it for weeks.
- He killed the animal in cold blood.
in cold blood
2Deliberately and without mercy (often killing)
To do something on purpose without feeling sorry, usually something very bad like killing someone.
- The crime was committed in cold blood.
- He murdered them in cold blood.