| English Dictionary |
YELLOW
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does yellow mean?
• YELLOW (noun)
The noun YELLOW has 1 sense:
1. yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons
Familiarity information: YELLOW used as a noun is very rare.
• YELLOW (adjective)
The adjective YELLOW has 6 senses:
1. of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
2. easily frightened
3. changed to a yellowish color by age
4. typical of tabloids
5. cowardly or treacherous
6. affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of skin etc
Familiarity information: YELLOW used as an adjective is common.
• YELLOW (verb)
The verb YELLOW has 1 sense:
1. turn yellow
Familiarity information: YELLOW used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
yellow; yellowness
Hypernyms ("yellow" is a kind of...):
chromatic color; chromatic colour; spectral color; spectral colour (a color that has hue)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "yellow"):
canary; canary yellow (a moderate yellow with a greenish tinge)
amber; gold (a deep yellow color)
brownish yellow (a yellow color of low lightness with a brownish tinge)
gamboge; lemon; lemon yellow; maize (a strong yellow color)
old gold (a dark yellow)
orange yellow; saffron (a shade of yellow tinged with orange)
pale yellow; straw; wheat (a variable yellow tint; dull yellow, often diluted with white)
greenish yellow (a shade of yellow tinged with green)
Derivation:
yellow (turn yellow)
yellow (of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk)
| Declension: comparative and superlative |
Superlative: yellowest
Sense 1
Meaning:
Of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
Synonyms:
Similar:
chromatic (being or having or characterized by hue)
Derivation:
yellow; yellowness (yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Easily frightened
Synonyms:
chicken; chickenhearted; lily-livered; white-livered; yellow; yellow-bellied
Similar:
cowardly; fearful (lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted)
Domain usage:
colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Changed to a yellowish color by age
Synonyms:
yellow; yellowed
Context example:
yellowed parchment
Similar:
old (of long duration; not new)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Typical of tabloids
Synonyms:
scandalmongering; sensationalistic; yellow
Context example:
yellow press
Similar:
sensational (causing intense interest, curiosity, or emotion)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Cowardly or treacherous
Context example:
too yellow to stand and fight
Similar:
dishonorable; dishonourable (lacking honor or integrity; deserving dishonor)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of skin etc
Synonyms:
Similar:
unhealthy (not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind)
| Conjugation: |
... he / she / it yellows Past simple: yellowed
Past participle: yellowed
-ing form: yellowing
Sense 1
Meaning:
Turn yellow
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Context example:
The pages of the book began to yellow
Hypernyms (to "yellow" is one way to...):
color; colour; discolor; discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Derivation:
yellow (yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons)
Context examples
The six horses were so close together that a carpet could have covered them, but half way up the yellow of the Mapleton stable showed to the front.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Dr. Trindade tried to ease the widespread concern over yellow fever.
(Aedes mosquitoes almost impossible to eradicate, says Brazilian researcher, Agência Brasil)
He said that she would be of great size and of a yellow shade.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
His little fan of yellow light shone upon a low window.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
They include yellowing of the skin and eyes, pain in the abdomen and back, weight loss and fatigue.
(Pancreatic Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)
There was a flash of yellow before his eyes.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
But here the long man with the yellow eyes struck in.
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
Go into the garden and dig where I tell you, and you will find the yellow buttons: I dare not go myself.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
Has platelet storage disease associated with the red-eyed yellow locus, as described by Raymond and Dodds (1975) for the FH strain.
(E3, Rat Strain, NCI Thesaurus)
The great yellow butterflies drifted silently through the sunshine and lost themselves in the drowsy shadows.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"The dog does not catch further that its leash" (Breton proverb)
"The greatest poorness is the lack of brains." (Arabic proverb)
"If your friend is like honey, don't eat it all." (Egyptian proverb)