ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cyan

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //saɪˈæn// UK //saɪˈæn// cyan

n. a bright blue-green color that is often used in printing and digital design. It is the color you get when you mix blue and green.

n. a spectral color between green and blue, specifically the color of the light with a wavelength of about 500 nanometers. Often used in the context of color theory and printing.


SIMPLE

The designer chose a bright cyan for the background.

CONTEXTUAL

In the four-color printing process, cyan is one of the primary colors used to create a wide range of blues and greens.

COMPLEX

The deep cyan of the ocean at midday creates a striking contrast with the white sand of the coral reef, a phenomenon often captured in high-resolution underwater photography.

Synonyms
Origin

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κύανος (kúanos), a shade of blue variously described as similar to cornflower, copper carbonate, and lapis lazuli, Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀷𐀜 (ku-wa-no), possibly from Hittite [script needed] (kuwannan-, “a precious stone; copper; shade of blue”). Compare modern Greek κυανός (kyanós), also used for cyan.

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