color

el color

colorear

USAGE NOTE

This word may also be spelled “colour.”

color(kuh-luhr)

noun

1. (hue)

a. el color

(M)

Her favorite color is teal.

Su color preferido es el verde azulado.

The artist used all the colors of the rainbow in her painting.

La artista utilizó todos los colores del arco iris en su pintura.

2. (skin color)

a. el color

(M)

They don't discriminate based on the color or sexual preference of applicants.

No discriminan basado en el color o preferencias sexuales de los aplicantes.

3. (crayon)

a. el crayón

(M)

Why don't you bring your colors and draw me a doggy?

¿Por qué no traes tus crayones y me dibujas un perrito?

adjective

4. (having color)

a. a color

My grandparents still remember the days before color TVs.

Mis abuelos todavía se acuerdan de los días antes de las televisiones a color.

transitive verb

5. (to apply color)

a. colorear

The children colored pictures for their parents.

Los niños colorearon imágenes para sus padres.

color

Noun

1. (general)

a. el color

(M)

what color is it?¿de qué color es?

color bardiscriminación f racial

color codecódigo de colores

color schemecombinación de colores

color supplementsuplemento m en color

2. (person)

a.

to give color to a storydar colorido a una historia

let's see the color of your moneyveamos primero el dinero

to pass with flying colorsaprobar con todos los honores

to show oneself in one's true colorsquitarse la máscara

she nailed her colors to the mastmanifestó públicamente su postura

transitive verb

3. (change color of)

a. colorear

4. (fig)

a. influir en (judgment, view)

to color one's hairteñirse el pelo

to color something bluepintar or colorear algo de azul

intransitive verb

5. (blush)

a. ruborizarse

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

color [ˈkʌləʳ]

noun

transitive verb

intransitive verb

(US)

colour

colour

color (US)

[ˈkʌləʳ]

noun

1 (shade) color (m)

what colour is it? ¿de qué color es?; they come in different colours los hay de varios colores

her silk dress was sky-blue, the colour of her eyes what's your favourite colour?

to change colour cambiar or mudar de color

a dark/light colour

it was green in colour era de color verde

the dress was green [in] colour

as time goes by my memories take on a different colour con el paso de los años mis recuerdos van tomando otro color

let's see the colour of your money! ¡a ver la pasta! (informal)

he made a mental note never to enter into conversation with a customer until he'd at least seen the colour of his money

2 (colourfulness) color (m)

splashes of colour salpicones (f) or notas (f) de color; what this room needs is a touch of colour lo que este cuarto necesita es un toque de color; in colour (TV) (Cine) en color

it was a remake, in colour, of an old black and whitemovie was it in colour? you can go home afterwards and watch Inspector Morse in colour

3 (dye, paint, pigment) color (m)

the latest lip and eye colours los últimos colores para labios y ojos

4 (complexion) color (m)

the colour drained from his face palideció; se le fue el color de la cara; the colour rose to her face se le subieron los colores

he recovered from the shock and his colour returned her face, normally a good colour, was pale with fury

to put the colour back in sb's cheeks devolverle el color or los colores a algn

the relief of knowing their love was safe again had put the color back in her cheeks

to be off colour estar indispuesto

5 (race) color (m)

he said that colour and ethnic origins were utterly irrelevant I don't care what colour she is

people of colour (US) personas (f) de color

black people spoke up to defend the rights of all people of colour dye, paint, pigment the Body Shop Herbal Hair Colour it's better to avoid all food colours the latest lip and eye colours she was always changing the colour of her hair

6 colours [of country, team] colores (m); (flag) bandera (f); (Mil) estandarte (m)

the Hungarian national colours los colores húngaros; (flag) la bandera húngara; to salute the colours saludar a la bandera; the battalion's colours el estandarte del batallón; he was wearing the team's colours vestía los colores del equipo

with flying colours

she passed her exams with flying colours aprobó los exámenes con unas notas excelentes; he has come out of all the tests with flying colours ha salido airoso de todas las pruebas

to nail one's colours to the mast

he nailed his colours to the mast hizo constar sus opiniones

I'll nail my colours firmly to the mast on this subject I've learned to be more tactful and to keep my thoughts and aspirations under wraps because I see it as counterproductive.Sometimes, however, it's difficult to resist the urge to nail one's colours to the mast to nail one's colours to sb's mast he's nailed his colours firmly to Mr Gorbachev's mast Mr Major has at last nailed his colours to the European mast to [see] sth/sb in its/his true colours

to show one's true colours

show o.s. in one's true colours

demostrar cómo se es de verdad

the children are seeing him in his true colours for the first time the organisation has had time to show its true colours the PLO has showed its true colors by backing the fiercely anti-Israel Saddam Hussein

flying

7 (authenticity, vividness) color (m); colorido (m)

an article full of local colour un artículo lleno de colorido local

she gave meaning and colour to his life she was travelling, to add depth and colour to her novels the film was full of period colour

8 (pretext)

under the colour of ... bajo la apariencia de ...

[under] the colour of charity they gather weapons for their fight he was charged with using excessive force under the colour of authority there was sufficient evidence to retry Powell on the charge of assault under color of authority their recent activities give some colour to this view the apparent inactivity on the Western front gave some colour to this view

9 (Mús) (also tone colour) timbre (m)

her voice has a wonderful dark colour in this passage we need a complete change of colour - from that pure choirboy-type sound to a gutsy, chest voice

transitive verb

1 (apply colour to) [+picture] (with paint) pintar; (with crayons) colorear

we've been making cakes and colouring the posters

2 (dye, tint) teñir

to colour one's hair teñirse or tintarse el pelo

the saffron colours the rice yellow to colour sth green the golden light of the sunset coloured the scene chemicals are used to colour red wines

3 (influence) influir en

his politics are coloured by his upbringing sus opiniones políticas están influenciadas por su educación

the effects of depression can colour our whole outlook negative images of Ireland colour people's opinions the attitude of parents must colour the way children approach school immigrants to this country are beginning to colour British society perception of pain is highly coloured by the mind stories of the jungle, coloured by a vivid imagination social creatures whose lives are highly coloured if not ruled by personal relationships

you must not allow it to colour your judgement no debes permitir que influya en tu juicio

many people think that, as boss, you should not make friends with, or have social contact with, your business colleagues as it may colour your judgement or undermine your leadership his case has been highlighted because he is one of the Hillsborough disaster's many victims. That must not colour the judgment of the doctors treating him

intransitive verb

1 (blush) ponerse colorado; sonrojarse

2 (change colour) tomar color

fry the onion until it begins to colour fría la cebolla hasta que empiece a coger color

the vegetables must fry, but not colour

3 (with crayons) [+child] colorear

he happily spends hours colouring

modifier

[+film, photograph, slide] en or a color; (LAm)

colour bar (n) barrera (f) racial

a programme which claimed that the Association of Conservative Clubs was operating a colour bar in its recruitment of secretaries

colour blindness (n) daltonismo (m)

colour filter (n) (Fot) filtro (m) de color

colour guard (n) (Mil) portaestandarte (m)

colour line (n) barrera (f) de color

colour match (n) coordinación (f) de colores

take along a scrap of the fabric to ensure a good colour match if you've searched in vain for the perfect color match for a dressy outfit you may also send a fabric swatch for the best color match if you're ordering trim, thread, or buttons

colour prejudice (n) prejuicio (m) racial

colour scheme (n) combinación (f) de colores

colour sergeant (n) (Mil) sargento (m) portaestandarte

colour supplement (n) (Journalism) suplemento (m) a color

colour television (n) televisión (f) en color; televisión (f) a color; (LAm)