coloring

[ kuhl-er-ing ]

noun

1. the act or method of applying color.
2. appearance as to color:

   healthy coloring.

3. a substance used to color something:

   food coloring made from vegetable dyes.

4. aspect or tone:

   The ethical coloring of the story balanced the rawness of its language.

5. specious appearance; show.

Other Words From

• non·color·ing adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coloring¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; color, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“We are concerned about the potential discriminatory, anti-Arab, and Islamophobia sentiment coloring his placement on leave and the current investigation,” Amr Shabaik, the council’s legal director in Los Angeles, said in a letter to the MWD board last week.

From Los Angeles Times

If the ingredients include things such as “organic tapioca starch” or “pea protein isolate,” or even natural coloring, you might reconsider.

From Los Angeles Times

Now she’s working on a coloring book and hoping to find “a stable place for this museum to be ... for our children to see their worth,” she told Lerew.

From Los Angeles Times

Bragging that she’d mingled with Il Duce’s fascist forces, she tells her rapt students that on the occasion, “I wore my silk dress with red poppies, which is right for my coloring.”

From Salon

“Depending on their composition, some get better absorbed and improve your hydration. Some are just for flavoring and they can have a lot of sugar or artificial coloring — it can be like drinking a soda.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• complexion
• shading