adj.
- of the colour between green and orange in the spectrum, a primary subtractive colour complementary to blue; coloured like ripe lemons or egg yolks.
▸offensive having a yellowish or olive skin (as used to describe Chinese or Japanese people).
▸denoting a warning of danger which is thought to be near but not actually imminent.
- informal cowardly.
- (of a book or newspaper) unscrupulously sensational.
n.
- yellow colour or pigment.
- used in names of yellow butterflies and moths, e.g. clouded yellow.
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(yellows)
any of a number of plant diseases in which the leaves turn yellow, typically caused by viruses and transmitted by insects.
v.
become a yellow colour, especially with age.
Phrase
- the yellow peril
offensive the political or military threat regarded as being posed by the Chinese or by the peoples of SE Asia.
Derivative
- yellowed adj.
- yellowing adj.
- yellowish adj.
- yellowness n.
- yellowy adj.
Etymology
OE geolu, geolo, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to gold.