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colored

colored

198 9.9
An offensive old word for people with dark skin
  • adjective
  • /ˈkʌlərd/
  • Slur
: [término ofensivo para una persona negra]
  • In the past, many colored people faced discrimination and segregation in public spaces.
  • colored people
  • white and colored
  • colored race

Not a woman, a man of color or LGBTQIA plus XYZ.

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Examples

  • The historical exhibition highlighted the contributions of colored artists during the Civil Rights Movement.

  • And then I put some kind of fall colored books that I have.

  • Finally, she saw it, a light-colored form against the darker prairie grass.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The pattern had dark vines upon which small tobacco-colored leaves seemed to wither.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The wrought-iron grillwork remained, but the leaded patterns and the colored glass were gone.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • We learned about the struggles of colored communities in our history class.

Synonyms

black
vscolored
∞ 1.0

Relating to people with dark skin, often of African origin

is an older, now offensive label once used for people of darker skin
mixed
vscolored
42 3.0

Having people of different races living or working together

is a historical label sometimes applied to people with parents from different races
melanic
vscolored
  • Specialized
1 8.6

Having very dark skin, fur, or feathers because of a natural dark substance

is an older social label used for people not a neutral scientific term

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

People with light skin

Compounds

23 2.4

Not dark in color, often pale like white

21 1.3

Having a dark shade, like deep blue or black

17 9.9

An old offensive term in the United States for Black people

A thing that has strong, vivid colors

A shiny color like metal, for example silver or gold

Having a pale yellowish-white color like fresh cream

8 5.1

A way of seeing things as better than they are and ignoring problems

Having the color of a ripe orange

4 2.4

To have a shiny yellow color like gold

4 2.3

Having a light color that is not bright

A pale pink or light brown color like human skin

Having light, soft colors like pale pink or blue

3 3.0

A reddish-brown or orange-brown color like old metal

3 4.1

A color like beige or grey that does not draw attention

A color that is yellowish brown like honey

A pale pinkish orange color like a ripe peach

2 2.3

A shiny light grey color like the metal used for coins and jewelry

2 3.4

A red-brown color like copper

2 3.4

Having one color with no pattern

Having a deep brown color like dark chocolate

A pale yellow color like dry straw

1 3.0

A deep red color like red wine

1 6.9

A dull greyish-brown color like the fur of some horses

1 2.6

A light pink color like that of a rose

Pale yellowish white like fresh cream

A warm reddish brown like the coat of some horses

A yellow-green color like green olives

1 5.7

A pale yellow-brown color like light leather

Having a purple color between blue and red

1 3.4

A pale, light purple color that looks soft

1 4.2

A light yellowish brown color like a young deer

A warm yellowish brown color like dry grass or a lion's fur

A light brown with a little red like cinnamon

1 5.5

A dull grey-blue color like old metal

A reddish-brown color like the fur of some dogs

Having a soft dark color like the sky at dusk

A pale pinkish orange color like a ripe peach

Having a shiny color like silver or gold

1 4.8

Having a deep dark red color like a red jewel

colored hearing
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An experience of seeing colors when you hear sounds, especially music

1 9.9

A hurtful phrase that says Black people are often late

A glossy black bird with a pink back and belly found mainly in Asia

A small bird with dull brown-gray feathers that lives in Mexico and Central America

colored audition
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition in which sounds make someone see colors

A pale sandy bird that runs quickly across dry plains

A shiny black bird with a pink back and belly that lives in Asia

A small North American bird with mostly grey feathers and a white belly

Surface Forms

colored positive
coloured positive

Morphology

colored = color (opaque) = color + ed

The sense referring to a social/racial category is a sociocultural extension not predictable from 'color' + '-ed' for an average learner.

Etymology

Colored (adjective) comes from color, which means 'hue' or 'tone'. It was once used to label people by the color of their skin during segregation, and that use is now considered offensive and dated.