Colour Terms
This list contains 168 definitions of obscure colour terms using combinations of ‘normal’ colours of the rainbow and descriptive adjectives; e.g. cardinal = deep scarlet red; russet = reddish brown. Don’t worry if the colours (or colors) in your universe don’t match up with the definitions given here for these words, though – the author has been known to have skewed perceptions of reality…
Word | Definition |
---|---|
aeneous | shining bronze colour |
albicant | whitish; becoming white |
albugineous | like the white of an eye or an egg; white-coloured |
amaranthine | immortal; undying; deep purple-red colour |
argent | the heraldic colour silver or white |
atrous | jet black |
aubergine | eggplant; a dark purple colour |
aurulent | gold-coloured |
azuline | blue |
azure | light or sky blue; the heraldic colour blue |
badious | chestnut-coloured |
beige | light creamy white-brown |
brunneous | dark brown |
burnet | dark brown; dark woollen cloth |
caesious | bluish or greyish green |
cardinal | deep scarlet red colour |
castaneous | chestnut-coloured |
castory | brown colour; brown dye derived from beaver pelts |
celadon | pale green; pale green glazed pottery |
celeste | sky blue |
cerulean | sky-blue; dark blue; sea-green |
cesious | bluish-grey |
chartreuse | yellow-green colour |
chlorochrous | green-coloured |
chrysochlorous | greenish-gold |
cinerious | ashen; ash-grey |
cinnabar | red crystalline mercuric sulfide pigment; deep red or scarlet colour |
citreous | lemon-coloured; lemony |
citrine | dark greenish-yellow |
claret | dark red-purple colour; a dark-red wine |
coccineous | bright red |
columbine | of or like a dove; dove-coloured |
coquelicot | brilliant red; poppy red |
corbeau | blackish green |
cramoisy | crimson |
cretaceous | of or resembling chalk; of a whitish colour |
croceate | saffron-coloured |
cyaneous | sky blue |
eau-de-nil | pale green colour |
eburnean | of or like ivory; ivory-coloured |
erythraean | reddish colour |
ferruginous | of the colour of rust; impregnated with iron |
filemot | dead-leaf colour; dull brown |
flammeous | flame-coloured |
flavescent | yellowish or turning yellow |
fuliginous | sooty; dusky; soot-coloured; of or pertaining to soot |
fulvous | dull yellow; tawny |
fuscous | brown; tawny; dingy |
gamboge | reddish-yellow colour |
glaucous | sea-green; greyish-blue |
goldenrod | dark golden yellow |
greige | of a grey-beige colour |
gridelin | violet-grey |
griseous | pearl-grey or blue-grey; grizzled |
haematic | blood-coloured |
heliotrope | purplish hue; purplish-flowered plant; ancient sundial; signalling mirror |
hoary | pale silver-grey colour; grey with age |
hyacinthine | of a blue or purple colour |
ianthine | violet-coloured |
ibis | large stork-like bird; a pale apricot colour |
icterine | yellowish or marked with yellow |
icteritious | jaundiced; yellow |
incarnadine | carnation-coloured; blood-red |
indigo | deep blue-violet colour; a blue-violet dye |
infuscate | clouded or tinged with brown; obscured; cloudy brown colour |
isabelline | greyish yellow |
jacinthe | orange colour |
jessamy | yellow like a jasmine |
kermes | brilliant red colour; a red dye derived from insects |
khaki | light brown or tan |
lateritious | brick-red |
leucochroic | white or pale-coloured |
liard | grey; dapple-grey |
lovat | grey-green; blue-green |
lurid | red-yellow; yellow-brown |
luteolous | yellowish |
luteous | golden-yellow |
lutescent | yellowish |
madder | red dye made from brazil wood; a reddish or red-orange colour |
magenta | reddish purple |
maroon | brownish crimson |
mauve | light bluish purple |
mazarine | rich blue or reddish-blue colour |
melanic | black; very dark |
melichrous | having a honey-like colour |
meline | canary-yellow |
miniaceous | colour of reddish lead |
minium | vermilion; red lead |
modena | crimson |
morel | dark-coloured horse; blackish colour |
nacarat | bright orange-red |
nankeen | buff-coloured; durable buff-coloured cotton |
nigricant | of a blackish colour |
nigrine | black |
niveous | snowy; white |
ochre | yellowish or yellow-brown colour |
ochroleucous | yellowish white |
olivaceous | olive-coloured |
or | heraldic colour gold or yellow |
pavonated | peacock-blue |
periwinkle | a bluish or azure colour; a plant with bluish flowers |
perse | dark blue or bluish-grey; cloth of such a colour |
phoeniceous | bright scarlet-red colour |
piceous | like pitch; inflammable; reddish black |
plumbeous | leaden; lead-coloured |
ponceau | poppy red |
porphyrous | purple |
porraceous | leek-green |
prasinous | leek-green colour |
primrose | pale yellow |
puccoon | blood-root; dark red colour |
puce | brownish-purple; purplish-pink |
puniceous | bright or purplish red |
purpure | heraldic colour purple |
purpureal | purple |
pyrrhous | reddish; ruddy |
rhodopsin | visual purple |
rubiginous | rusty-coloured |
rubious | ruby red; rusty |
rufous | reddish or brownish-red |
russet | reddish brown |
sable | black; dark; of a black colour in heraldry |
saffron | orange-yellow |
sage | grey-green colour |
sanguineous | bloody; of, like or pertaining to blood; blood-red |
sapphire | deep pure blue |
sarcoline | flesh-coloured |
sepia | fine brown |
sinopia | preparatory drawing for a fresco; reddish-brown colour |
slate | dull dark blue-grey |
smalt | deep blue |
smaragdine | emerald green |
solferino | purplish red |
sorrel | reddish-brown; light chestnut |
spadiceous | chestnut-coloured |
stammel | coarse woollen fabric, usually dyed red; bright red colour |
stramineous | strawy; light; worthless; straw-coloured |
suede | light beige |
sulphureous | bright yellow |
tan | tawny brown |
taupe | brownish-grey |
tawny | brownish-yellow |
teal | greenish-blue |
terracotta | reddish-brown |
testaceous | of or having a hard shell; brick-red |
tilleul | pale yellowish-green |
titian | red-gold or reddish-brown |
topaz | dark yellow |
turquoise | blue-green |
ultramarine | deep blue |
umber | brownish red |
vermeil | bright red or vermilion colour; gilded silver |
vermilion | bright red |
vinaceous | wine-coloured |
vinous | deep red; burgundy |
violaceous | violet-coloured |
violet | bluish purple |
virescent | becoming green or greenish; of a greenish colour |
virid | green |
viridian | chrome green |
vitellary | bright yellow |
wallflower | yellowish-red |
watchet | pale blue |
wheaten | the golden colour of ripe wheat |
whey | off-white |
willowish | of the colour of willow leaves |
xanthic | yellow; yellowish |
zinnober | chrome green |
All material on this page © 2007 Stephen Chrisomalis.