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Glite Dictionary
colors

colors

1 5.8
Flags and uniforms that show a group's identity and loyalty
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌlərz/
  • US
translation icon : colores
  • Both Spanish ships hold down their colours, the signal of surrender.
  • the colors of the flag

Examples

  • I MADE SOME NEW SCARVES, AND I'VE GOT ALL YOUR FAVORITE COLORS.

    The Christmas Spirit (2013)

  • It's got the Michigan colors, maze and blue.

  • THESE ARE THE COLORS I NEED: BLUE RAZZLEBERRY AND SOUR APPLE!

    The Lego Movie (2014)

  • Phil: USING BINOCULARS PROVIDED FOR THEM AT THE ROUTE MARKER, TEAMS MUCH SEARCH THE CITY OF HONG KONG FOR THE GREEN AND WHITE COLORS OF THE STAR FERRY TERMINAL.

    The Desperate (2020)

  • The soldiers proudly displayed their colors during the parade, symbolizing loyalty to their country.

  • At the ceremony, we raised our national colors as a sign of respect and unity.

  • The organization's colors were prominently featured on their banners, marking them as part of the team.

Synonyms

flag
vscolors
848 1.0

A piece of cloth used as a symbol for a country or group

focuses on loyalty or membership, often in military or ceremonial use
ensign
vscolors
7 7.9

A flag flown on a ship to show its country

is broader, applying to many groups and ceremonial uses beyond ships
national flag
vscolors
3 1.3

A piece of cloth that officially represents a country

covers representation of many groups and also distinctive clothing, not only nations
team colors
vscolors
  • US
1 2.0

Colors that represent a sports team and appear on shirts and flags

is focused on formal symbols of loyalty, often in military or ceremonial settings

Idioms

flying colors
  • Informal
20 3.2

A complete success showing that someone did very well

with flying colors
19 3.4

Someone does something very successfully

to pass with flying colors
10 3.2

To do very well in a test or task, often easily

to show one's true colors
  • Informal
9 6.3

To let people see who you really are, often under pressure

under false colors
  • US
1 9.1

Pretending to be someone else to trick people

to sail under false colors
  • Informal
8.4

To pretend to be someone else to trick people

Compounds

true colors
  • Informal
17 4.9

The real character a person shows when under pressure

team colors
  • US
1 2.0

Colors that represent a sports team and appear on shirts and flags

Surface Forms

color singular
colors plural
colours plural
colour singular

Morphology

colors = color (opaque) = color + s

Although morphologically 'color' + plural '-s', the specialized military/ceremonial sense 'flags or emblems' is an idiomatic/metaphorical extension not directly inferable by an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Colors comes from the idea of bright cloth showing a group's color, used as a 'flag'. Soldiers and teams carried these cloths so people could see and know which side they belonged to, so today 'the colors' often means a group's flag or emblem.