Ocre is a type of natural earth pigment that ranges in color from yellow and orange to red. It is commonly used in art and decoration. The word ocre is used both in written and oral contexts but is more frequently encountered in a written form.
Examples
El artista utilizó ocre para pintar el paisaje. (The artist used ochre to paint the landscape.)
El color de las paredes es un cálido tono de ocre. (The color of the walls is a warm shade of ochre.)
Idiomatic Expressions
Estar en las nubes o en el ocre
(Literal translation: To be in the clouds or in the ochre, Meaning: To be distracted or daydreaming)
Más feo que un pecado hecho con ocre
(Literal translation: Uglier than a sin made with ochre, Meaning: Very ugly)
Estar más seco que un ocre
(Literal translation: To be drier than an ochre, Meaning: To be very dry)
Tener la cuenta en ocre
(Literal translation: To have the account in ochre, Meaning: To be in financial trouble)
Etymology
The word ocre comes from the Latin "ochrus" which in turn comes from the Greek "ὤχρα" (ṓkhra), both of which refer to the pigment ochre.