charcoal gray
1
3.1
- noun
- /ˈtʃɑrˌkoʊl ɡreɪ/
- US
:
gris carbón
- They're a charcoal grey color, with a white trellis pattern.
- charcoal gray suit
- charcoal gray pants
Examples
-
The sky from horizon to horizon glowered charcoal gray, almost black.
Fiction book (1993) -
Crane was met in the stark lobby by the client's secretary, a trim, small-boned man in a charcoal gray suit and discreet makeup, like a manicured weasel in a suit that probably cost more than Crane's monthly salary.
Fiction book (1999) -
Dressed in razor-creased charcoal gray.
Fiction book (1999) -
It is like a charcoal Gray with a hint of warmness to it.
-
She wore a charcoal gray dress—wool or maybe heavy cotton.
Fiction book (1996) -
Smithers entered my office late on a Friday afternoon dressed in union standard issue: charcoal gray khaki work pants, matching shirt and baseball cap, and black steel-toed boots.
Fiction book (1998) -
For that night's special occasion, he had carefully selected a soft black cashmere turtleneck, charcoal gray trousers, which were pleated and cuffed, and light-brown walking boots.
Fiction book (1996) -
He stood on the sidewalk in a charcoal gray topcoat, the snow falling in flecks into his coal-black hair, his hands held awkwardly together in front of him like those of an altar boy.
Fiction book (1999) -
I opened my closet and chose a charcoal gray suit for the wedding.
-
The walls of the living room were painted charcoal gray to create a cozy atmosphere.
Synonyms
5
1.7
A very dark grey color like burned wood
2
3.5
A dark grey color with a slight blue or purple tone
A very dark gray color often used for suits, coats, and paint
A dark color with a little purple or blue used in painting
A dark blue-grey color artists use in painting
A shade of grey often used as an Italian color name
Antonyms
How Dark
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a very dark shade of grey resembling charcoal' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents: 'charcoal' (a very dark grey color) modifying 'gray' to indicate a specific shade. This straightforward color-naming pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English modifier-noun composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Charcoal gray comes from the dark color of charcoal, the black burned wood people use for drawing and as fuel. The simple picture of that deep, almost black gray is why the phrase means 'a very dark shade of gray'.