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colors

n. C / U
A1 Beginner US //ˈkəɫɝz// UK //kˈʌləz// col·ors

n. the different appearances of things like red, blue, or green. You use this word to describe how light makes objects look to your eyes.

n. the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, blue, yellow, and others. Derived from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors.


SIMPLE

The bright colors of the flowers attract many bees.

CONTEXTUAL

The artist spent hours mixing different colors on her palette to find the perfect shade of sunset orange.

COMPLEX

While the primary colors of light are red, green, and blue, the subtractive model used in printing relies on cyan, magenta, and yellow to reproduce the visible spectrum.

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Usage

The spelling 'colors' is standard in American English, while 'colours' is used in British English. When used to mean 'the flag of a ship or regiment', it is always plural.

Pitfall

The car has a beautiful color blueThe car is a beautiful blue colorWhen describing a specific hue, the color name usually acts as an adjective before 'color' or the sentence uses 'is' plus the color name.

Idioms2 entries

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