col·our 1 S1 W1 British English , color American English / kʌlə $ -ər / 名词
1 red/blue/green etc [可数名词] 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 [不可数名词] ( also colours ) the appearance of something as a result of the way it reflect s (= 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 [可数和不可数名词] 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 → coloured 2
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 [可数和不可数名词] 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 反义词 in black and white :
All the recipes in the book are illustrated in full colour .
7 sb’s face [不可数名词] 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 [不可数名词] 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) [名词前不用] British English someone who is off colour is feeling slightly ill
b) [通常用于名词前] especially American English off-colour jokes, stories etc are rude and often about sex
11 colours [复数形式]
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 flying 1 ( 2 ) , → nail your colours to the mast at nail 2 ( 5 ) , → your true colours at true 1 ( 13 )
COLLOCATIONS
形容词
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?
动词
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 / hju / 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