color code

¹ American  

noun

1. any system of marking or visual designation that uses specific colors for indicating or simplifying, as on a chart or map or in an industrial plant.

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color-code ² American  

[kuhl-er-kohd] / ˈkʌl ərˌkoʊd /

verb (used with object)

color-coded, color-coding

1. to distinguish or classify with a color code.

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Etymology

Origin of color-code

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

"Beyond imaging, a DNA color code could have very useful applications in data storage on DNA," says Tadija Keki?,

From Science Daily • Oct. 17, 2023

It's not legislation to have to put on the front and color code it so that a busy working parent can decide.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2023

Two examples of topological codes are called the surface code and the color code.

From Scientific American • Apr. 19, 2022

The observatory also changed the aviation color code to “orange,” alerting pilots that there’s potential for an eruption and they may need to avoid the area if one occurs.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2021

The mother had devised the color code to save time.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez