ground color

[ ground kuhl-er ]

noun

1. Also called ground coat. a primary coat of paint; priming; base coat.
2. the background color, as of a painting or decoration.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground color¹

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Suggesting that distinct neurons in the hippocampus serve different functions, Zheng explained that, for instance, one neuron might respond to the shape of an environment, while another responds to the ground color or other features.

From Science Daily

It was like they had lights inside of them, some real, pure ground color.

From Los Angeles Times

This was done by surreptitiously releasing the soil down his trouser legs in areas where the ground color vaguely matched.

From Washington Post

No. 4295 consists of several small slabs of yellow oxide of iron, for grinding up as design paint, which on firing makes the red ocher color which is both darker and more saturatedly red than the light reddish-buff ground color of Mohave pottery.

From Project Gutenberg

Having been asked to paint for the Cathedral of Malines a "Last Supper," Rubens made the drawing and sent it to one of his pupils, Juste van Egmont, to lay on the ground color.

From Project Gutenberg