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

Irregular, varied layers of colored dots frame an immense, crusty center expanse with a flourish of widely spaced dots against ocher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 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 cat, the ocher paw prints suggest, was more reckless, so residents in Fukuyama have been warned to be careful should they run across it.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2024

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

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

On the day of our reemergence, we went down to the river early in the morning to wash away the white ocher in the waters of the Mbashe.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela