coloration

[ kuhl-uh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

1. appearance with regard to color arrangement or use of colors; coloring:

   the bold coloration of some birds.

coloration

/ ˌkʌləˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. arrangement of colour and tones; colouring
2. the colouring or markings of insects, birds, etc See also apatetic aposematic cryptic
3. unwanted extraneous variations in the frequency response of a loudspeaker or listening environment

Other Words From

• colo·ration·al adjective
• colo·ration·al·ly adverb
• de·color·ation noun
• over·color·ation noun
• precol·or·ation noun
• recol·or·ation noun
• transcol·or·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coloration¹

First recorded in 1605–15; color + -ation

Example Sentences

“It’s a very charismatic flower. Its form and coloration are quite striking,” Musial says.

From Los Angeles Times

The word "neela" signifies the color blue in most Indian languages -- a fitting tribute to the ant's unique coloration.

From Science Daily

For even coloration, Slocum said, “you want to work with the grain.”

From Seattle Times

So, a rare body coloration becomes more common in the next generation, at which point the birds switch their target and eat up that morph.

From Science Magazine

Scuba divers off the southernmost coast of Japan’s main island first noticed shimmering coloration in Sporochnus dotyi a couple of years ago.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• complexion
• glow
• hue
• tinge