yellow
yel·low [yellow yellows yellowed yellowing yellower yellowest] adjective, noun, verb [ˈjeləʊ] [ˈjeloʊ]
adjective (yel·lower, yel·lowest)
1. having the colour of lemons or butter
• pale yellow flowers
• a bright yellow waterproof jacket
2. (taboo) an offensive word used to describe the light brown skin of people from some E Asian countries
3. (informal, disapproving) easily frightened
Syn: cowardly
Word Origin:
Old English geolu, geolo, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch geel and German gelb, also to gold.
Example Bank:
• Her teeth were rather yellow.
• She wore a pale yellow dress.
Derived Word: yellowness
noun uncountable, countable
the colour of lemons or butter
• She was dressed in yellow.
• the reds and yellows of the trees
Word Origin:
Old English geolu, geolo, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch geel and German gelb, also to gold.
