Colour Terms

COLOUR TERMS

This list contains 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.

ATROUS — jet black

AUBERGINE — eggplant; a dark purple colour

AZURE — light or sky blue; the heraldic colour blue

BEIGE — light creamy white-brown

BURNET — dark brown; dark woollen cloth

CARDINAL — deep scarlet red colour

CELESTE — sky blue

CERULEAN — sky-blue; dark blue; sea-green

CHARTREUSE — yellow-green colour

CINNABAR — red crystalline mercuric sulfide pigment; deep red or scarlet colour

CITRINE — dark greenish-yellow

CLARET — dark red-purple colour; a dark-red wine

CRETACEOUS — of or resembling chalk; of a whitish colour

FLAVESCENT — yellowish or turning yellow

HELIOTROPE — purplish hue; purplish-flowered plant; ancient sundial; signalling mirror

HOARY — pale silver-grey colour; grey with age

INDIGO — deep blue-violet colour; a blue-violet dye

JACINTHE — orange colour

KHAKI — light brown or tan

LURID — red-yellow; yellow-brown

MAGENTA — reddish purple

MAROON — brownish crimson

MAUVE — light bluish purple

OCHRE — yellowish or yellow-brown colour

PERIWINKLE — a bluish or azure colour; a plant with bluish flowers

PRIMROSE — pale yellow

PUCE — brownish-purple; purplish-pink

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

SEPIA — fine brown

SLATE — dull dark blue-grey

SORREL — reddish-brown; light chestnut

SUEDE — light beige

SULPHUREOUS — bright yellow

TAN — tawny brown

TAWNY — brownish-yellow

TEAL — greenish-blue

TERRACOTTA — reddish-brown

TITIAN — red-gold or reddish-brown

TOPAZ — dark yellow

TURQUOISE — blue-green

ULTRAMARINE — deep blue

UMBER — brownish red

VERMALION — bright red

VIRIDIAN — chrome green

WHEY — off-white