tricolor

1 of 2

adjective

tri·​col·​or ˈtrī-ˌkə-lər How to pronounce tricolor (audio)
 also  ˈtrē-,
 especially British  ˈtri-kə-lə
1
a
or tricolored : having, using, or marked with three colors
b
of a dog : having a coat of black, tan, and white
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tricolor or a nation whose flag is a tricolor
especially : french

tricolor

2 of 2

noun

1
: a flag of three colors arranged in equal horizontal or vertical bands
the French tricolor
2
: a tricolor animal
especially : a tricolor dog

Examples of tricolor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Down came the tricolor Russian flag flying downtown alongside the flags of the six other countries where Roanoke has sister cities. Jane Gottlieb, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023 The federal Fish and Wildlife Service designated the northern long-eared bat as endangered last year and has proposed listing for the tricolored bat. John Flesher, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2023 In a nod to the tricolor Iranian flag, Amadi wore a white top, green shorts and bright red lipstick. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2022 That's 9 billion pieces of the tricolor wonders to munch on every Halloween. Ashley Leath, Country Living, 30 Sep. 2022 Her party’s logo, a tricolor flame, is a symbol of the Italian Social Movement; some of Mussolini’s descendants have even contested elections under its banner. Yasmeen Serhan, Time, 22 Sep. 2022 When presenting the day’s show, Lesnoy sits before a small table draped with a white and blue tricolor flag—the symbol of the Russian opposition to the invasion—and that of Ukraine. Guillaume Ptak, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2022 Suddenly, a chevron of Italian Air Force jets blasted across the horizon toward the city, arcing through the sky above the St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace and leaving behind a trail of tricolor plumes. New York Times, 16 Apr. 2022 The popular 'Striptease' hosta is a tricolor variety; each green leaf has a golden stripe down the center that is edged by a thin white line. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022
Noun
In this wonderful film, the French armies fly the familiar tricolor, of vertical bands of blue, white, and red. The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 Russian troops later planted a Russian tricolor and a Soviet flag atop the heap. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2023 Even as India sends its tricolor flag to remote extra-terrestrial locations, a thriving private space industry is also taking root within the country. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023 Jenner, on the other hand, showed off many a fine coat on her ski trip, including the coveted Phoebe Philo tricolor trench. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2023 Their small to medium size and tricolor coat add to their visual appeal. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023 In addition to its multicolored, oversized pom-pom, the hat scores style points with a heavy cable knit, a ribbed cuff, and tricolor designs with stripes in shades ranging from orange to purple. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2023 Chocolate-Matcha Cookies Oat flour is the backbone behind this clever gluten-free, vegan and nut-free cookie that uses one dough to create an eye-catching, tricolor treat. Kari Sonde, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2023 Skip the tricolor cookies this Christmas—any and all party hosts will be much better off with a panettone brought to them instead. Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tricolor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French tricolore three-colored, from Late Latin tricolor, from Latin tri- + color color

First Known Use

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tricolor was in 1795

Dictionary Entries Near tricolor

Cite this Entry

“Tricolor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tricolor. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tricolor

1 of 2 noun
tri·​col·​or ˈtrī-ˌkəl-ər How to pronounce tricolor (audio)
: a flag of three colors

tricolor

2 of 2 adjective
variants or tricolored
ˈtrī-kəl-ərd
: having, using, or marked with three colors

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