ocher

American  

[oh-ker] / ˈoʊ kər /

Or ochre

noun

1. any of a class of natural earths, mixtures of hydrated oxide of iron with various earthy materials, ranging in color from pale yellow to orange and red, and used as pigments.

2. the color of this, ranging from pale yellow to an orangish or reddish yellow.

3. Obsolete. money, especially gold coin.

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adjective

1. of the color of ocher.

verb (used with object)

ochered, ochering

1. to color or mark with ocher.

ocher British  

/ ˈəʊkə, ˈəʊkrɔɪd /

noun

1. the US spelling of ochre

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Other Word Forms

• ocherous adjective
• ochery adjective
• ochroid adjective

Etymology

Origin of ocher

1350–1400; Middle English oker < Old French ocre < Latin ōchrā < Greek ṓchrā yellow ocher

Example Sentences

We are drawn by the painting’s rich orchestration of warm and cool browns—from sludgy tan to super-charged ocher verging on sienna—and its seductive textures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Towering at 300 feet tall, the crumbly ocher cliffs of Palos Verdes Estates boast breathtaking views of Los Angeles’ coastline.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

The ocher walls of the West MacDonnell Ranges crowd its southern fringe.

From New York Times • Aug. 23, 2023

The bodies of the dead themselves were often decorated with red ocher and other pigments.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The women and children of the village wore blankets dyed in ocher; only the few Christians in the village wore Westem-style clothing.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela