YELLOW Definition & Meaning

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yellow

[yel-oh]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a color like that of egg yolk, ripe lemons, etc.; the primary color between green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 570 and 590 nanometers.
the yolk of an egg.
a yellow pigment or dye.
Informal.��yellow light.
Slang.��yellow jacket.

adjective

yellower, yellowest

of the color yellow.
Disparaging and Offensive.��
1. designating or pertaining to an Asian person or Asian peoples.
2. designating or pertaining to a person of mixed racial origin, especially of black and white heritage.
having a sallow or yellowish complexion.
Informal.��cowardly.
Synonyms: , ,
1. (of a newspaper, book, etc.) featuring articles, pictures, or other content that is sensational, especially morbidly or offensively so.
  yellow rags;
  yellow biographies.
2. dishonest in editorial comment and the presentation of news, especially in sacrificing truth for sensationalism, as in
jealous; envious.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become yellow.
Yellow the sheets with dye.
The white stationery had yellowed with age.

yellow

/ ˈ��ɛ��əʊ /

noun

any of a group of colours that vary in saturation but have the same hue. They lie in the approximate wavelength range 585–575 nanometres. Yellow is the complementary colour of blue and with cyan and magenta forms a set of primary colours
a pigment or dye of or producing these colours
yellow cloth or clothing
dressed in yellow
the yolk of an egg
a yellow ball in snooker, etc
any of a group of pieridine butterflies the males of which have yellow or yellowish wings, esp the clouded yellows ( Colias spp.) and the brimstone

adjective

of the colour yellow
yellowish in colour or having parts or marks that are yellowish
yellow jasmine
having a yellowish skin; Mongoloid
informal��cowardly or afraid
offensively sensational, as a cheap newspaper (esp in the phrase yellow press )

verb

to make or become yellow

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Sensitive Note

It is perceived as insulting to use yellow to describe a person of Asian or mixed racial origin, as in the terms yellow peril and high yellow.

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

yellowly adverb
yellowness noun
ˈ��Ƿɱ�� adverb
ˈ��ǷɲԱ�� noun
ˈ��Ƿɾ�� adjective
ˈ��Ƿɲ� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of yellow¹

First recorded before 900; 1895–1900 yellow for def. 9; Middle English yelou (adjective and noun), Old English geolo, geolu (adjective); cognate with Dutch geel, German gelb, Old Norse gulr; akin to Latin helvus “pale yellow,” Persian zar “gold” ( jargon ² ( def. ) ), Sanskrit ��á�� “brown, green, yellow”

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of yellow¹

Old English geolu; related to Old Saxon, Old High German gelo, Old Norse gulr, Latin helvus

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Tucked underneath a bush of sprawling, heart-shaped leaves would be yellow squash blossoms that blessed us with fresh squash in the blink of an eye.

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And when Leicester skipper Julian Montoya was shown a yellow for a high tackle on Ted Hill his side were forced into defensive mode to see out the half.

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Nearby, at the stall of lauded smashburger spot For the Win, a yellow, hand-written sign read, “Due to current events, we will be closing early.”

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Into Saturday there will be more showers and thunderstorms across western parts of England, Wales and into Scotland where there is a further yellow severe weather warning.

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The Met Office has issued three yellow warnings for thunderstorms for different parts of the country.

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yell yellow alert

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