coloration

noun

col·or·a·tion | \ ˌkə-lə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of coloration

1a : the state of having color the dark coloration of his skin

b : use or choice of colors (as by an artist)

c : arrangement of colors the coloration of a butterfly's wing

2a : characteristic quality the newspapers … took on the former coloration of the magazine— L. B. Seltzer

b : aspect suggesting an attitude the chameleon talent for taking on the intellectual coloration of whatever idea he happened to fasten onto— Budd Schulberg

3 : subtle variation of intensity or quality of tone a wide range of coloration from the orchestra

Examples of coloration in a Sentence

the coloration of a flower the bright yellow coloration of the curtains wine glasses with circle designs and blue and green colorations He attempted to give a religious coloration to the war.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their coloration varies between yellow, tan, olive, brown, gray, orange or reddish brown with dark blotches. — Michelle Lou, CNN, "'Zombie snakes' in North Carolina are a lot less scary than they sound," 11 June 2019 Mattison, who works with the ocean-conservation organization Mission Blue, designs images of ideal coral-reef vegetation and coloration, as well as sculptures of coral reefs wasting away, losing their color, their size and their biodiversity. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "Insects swarm over Flo-Gris as part of ’Fragile Earth’ exhibit," 6 June 2019 Stacking up the reds, blues, and yellows produces the muddy brown coloration of lobsters in the wild. — Robinson Russell, National Geographic, "Why This Rare Lobster Is Colored Like Blue Cotton Candy," 19 June 2018 With characters—aunts and uncles, careless teachers, indifferent construction workers, bosses, girls, and thugs!— people who looked and felt real, if not a little subdued, in their colorations. — Tom Chiarella, Popular Mechanics, "Stan Lee Taught Me to Love Storytelling," 13 Nov. 2018 The ghost lobster’s look is likely due to a genetic condition called leucism, which causes a partial loss of pigmentation in an animal, resulting in white, pale and patchy coloration. — Alexandra Deabler, Fox News, "Maine fisherman catches rare 'ghost lobster'," 30 Aug. 2018 The limited Hermès edition 90cm x 90cm silk scarf is printed in Lustig Cohen's original coloration (crème, jaune, and rose) for Centered Rhyme. — Sarah Bray, Town & Country, "Hermès' Newest Scarf Benefits Philip Johnson's Glass House," 8 May 2017 But recently, Russell’s Instagram post featuring Lucky’s unusual coloration resurfaced and is making waves online. — Robinson Russell, National Geographic, "Why This Rare Lobster Is Colored Like Blue Cotton Candy," 19 June 2018 Only a few types have venom strong enough to harm you and fangs (yikes!) long enough to penetrate your skin. Venomous spiders found in the Southeast include: Black widow – identified by the pattern of red coloration on the underside of its abdomen. — Mary Caldwell, ajc, "Here’s how to identify (and get rid of) venomous spiders in your home," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coloration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.