coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkə-lə-riŋ 

1

a

: the act of applying colors

b

: something that produces color or color effects

c(1)

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

(2)

: natural color

(3)

: complexion, coloration

d

: change of appearance (as by adding color)

2

: influence, bias

3

: color sense 8

4

: timbre, quality

Synonyms

• color
• colorant
• dye
• dyestuff
• pigment
• stain

Examples of coloring in a Sentence

Her favorite activities include playing with stuffed animals and coloring.

Our product contains no artificial coloring or flavoring.

She added some blue food coloring to the icing.

This scarf will look great with your coloring.

He has very light coloring.

Recent Examples on the Web

But will these alternative colorings actually make our food healthier? —Jamie Ducharme, Health, 30 Apr. 2025

This unique squirrel, with its bright white coloring, was observed in Mizoram, contributing to the understanding of color aberrations in small mammals. —Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025

To do so, add a few drops of food coloring and water to each section of a muffin tin to create a palette of pastel shades. —Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Just add a few drops of food coloring, and voilà—ombre eggs. —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing coloring

• coloring book

Kids Definition

coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkəl-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: the act of applying colors

2

: something that produces color

food coloring

3

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

4

: complexion sense 1, coloration

5

: change of appearance (as by adding color)