¦ adjective
1. 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.
2. informal cowardly.
3. (of a book or newspaper) unscrupulously sensational.
¦ noun
1. yellow colour or pigment.
2. used in names of yellow butterflies and moths, e.g. clouded yellow.
3. (yellows) any of a number of plant diseases in which the leaves turn yellow, typically caused by viruses and transmitted by insects.
¦ verb become a yellow colour, especially with age.
Phrases
the yellow peril offensive the political or military threat regarded as being posed by the Chinese or by the peoples of SE Asia.
Derivatives
yellowed adjective
yellowing adjective
yellowish adjective
yellowness noun
yellowy adjective
Origin
OE
geolu,
geolo, of W. Gmc origin; related to
gold.