yellow

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yel·low / ˈyelō/ • adj. 1. of the color between green and orange in the spectrum, a primary subtractive color complementary to blue; colored like ripe lemons or egg yolks: curly yellow hair. ∎ offens. having a naturally yellowish or olive skin (as used to describe Chinese or Japanese people). ∎  denoting a warning of danger that is thought to be near but not actually imminent: he put Camp Visoko on yellow alert. 2. inf. cowardly: he'd better get back there quick and prove he's not yellow. 3. (of a book or newspaper) unscrupulously sensational. • n. 1. yellow color or pigment: painted in vivid blues and yellows. 2. the yolk of an egg. 3. (yellows) any of a number of plant diseases in which the leaves turn yellow, typically caused by viruses and transmitted by insects.• v. [intr.] become a yellow color, esp. with age: the cream paint was beginning to yellowDERIVATIVES: yel·low·ish adj.yel·low·ness n.yel·low·y adj.ORIGIN: Old English geolu, geolo; related to Dutch geel and German gelb, also to gold.

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