colour
UK[ˈkʌlə(r)]US[ˈkʌlər]
n
the appearance that something has as a result of reflecting light
n
a substance used to give something a particular colour
v
to put colour on something using paint, dye, etc.
Etymology
The word 'colour' entered English through the Anglo-Norman French spoken by the ruling class after the Norman Conquest of 1066, displacing the native Old English term 'hiw'. Its Latin ancestor, 'color', carries the core meaning of hue or complexion. While its deeper Proto-Indo-European roots are obscure, one plausible theory connects it to the PIE root ḱel- 'to cover, conceal', which evolved into Latin 'celare'. This semantic link suggests an ancient conceptualization of colour as a surface quality, a covering that defines appearance. Over centuries, the word's spelling stabilized as 'colour' in British English, retaining its French-influenced form, while 'color' became standard in American English.
Analysis
The modern English word 'colour' is a simplex form derived from the Anglo-Norman French 'colur', 'culur', and Old French 'color', 'colour'. Its ultimate origin is the Latin 'color', meaning 'colour, hue, appearance'. The Latin word is of uncertain etymology but may be related to the verb 'celare', meaning 'to hide, conceal', suggesting a link between colour and outward appearance or covering.
Examples
The walls were painted a bright, cheerful colour.
She used watercolours to paint the landscape.
The children love to colour in the pictures with crayons.