cyan

1 of 2

noun

cy·​an ˈsī-ˌan 

-ən

: a greenish-blue color

—used in photography and color printing of one of the primary colors

cyan-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or cyano-

1

: dark blue : blue

cyanobacterium

2

: cyanogen

cyanide

3

: cyanide

cyanogenetic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Why mosquitoes are attracted to the color cyan remains a mystery. —NBC News, 4 Feb. 2022

Can't Control Me (a subtle cyan), and Achievement Unlocked (a pretty lilac). —Sarah Toscano, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2022

The exterior will get a fresh coat of paint to match the company's cyan and charcoal colors; signage will be going up, too. —Bob Dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2020

The four-bedroom, multi-tiered mansion is perched above cyan-blue waters, with access to the ocean, a private coral pool, and an infinity pool. —Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2020

On a chair constructed from four square steel-tubing frames, nylon webbing in various shades (cyan, khaki, optic white, vermilion) creates a seat with a similarly unpredictable checkered design. —New York Times, 13 Feb. 2020

For instance, Actinomyces bacteria, in red, grow close to the epithelial tissue of the tongue, shown in gray, while Rothia bacteria, in cyan, form long patches between other communities. —Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Science | AAAS, 24 Mar. 2020

Cast in aluminum with black powder coating, the sculpture is tinged at the edges with the printing colors of cyan, magenta and yellow as though this representation of a person is beginning to come into full color. —New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020

For the ’60s-era chapter of the story, Prieto modeled his palette after vintage Ektachrome film, which skews toward cyan and blue-green, and translates, Prieto says, into colder blacks and cooler shadows. —Hugh Hart, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Greek kyanos

Combining form

German, from Greek kyan-, kyano-, from kyanos dark blue enamel

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cyan

noun

cy·​an ˈsī-ˌan 

-ən

: a greenish blue