Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Yellow?

\Yel"low\, a. 1. Cowardly; hence, dishonorable; mean; contemptible; as, he has a yellow streak. [Slang] 2. Sensational; -- said of some newspapers, their makers, etc.; as, yellow journal, journalism, etc. [Colloq.]
\Yel"low\, a. [Compar. {Yellower}; superl. {Yellowest}.] [OE. yelow, yelwe, [yogh]elow, [yogh]eoluw, from AS. geolu; akin to D. geel, OS. & OHG. gelo, G. gelb, Icel. gulr, Sw. gul, Dan. guul, L. helvus light bay, Gr. ? young verdure, ? greenish yellow, Skr. hari tawny, yellowish. ???. Cf. {Chlorine}, {Gall} a bitter liquid, {Gold}, {Yolk}.] Being of a bright saffronlike color; of the color of gold or brass; having the hue of that part of the rainbow, or of the solar spectrum, which is between the orange and the green. Her yellow hair was browded [braided] in a tress. --Chaucer. A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought First fruits, the green ear and the yellow sheaf. --Milton. The line of yellow light dies fast away. --Keble. {Yellow atrophy} (Med.), a fatal affection of the liver, in which it undergoes fatty degeneration, and becomes rapidly smaller and of a deep yellow tinge. The marked symptoms are black vomit, delirium, convulsions, coma, and jaundice. {Yellow bark}, calisaya bark. {Yellow bass} (Zo["o]l.), a North American fresh-water bass ({Morone interrupta}) native of the lower parts of the Mississippi and its tributaries. It is yellow, with several more or less broken black stripes or bars. Called also {barfish}. {Yellow berry}. (Bot.) Same as {Persian berry}, under {Persian}. {Yellow boy}, a gold coin, as a guinea. [Slang] --Arbuthnot. {Yellow brier}. (Bot.) See under {Brier}. {Yellow bugle} (Bot.), a European labiate plant ({Ajuga Cham[ae]pitys}). {Yellow bunting} (Zo["o]l.), the European yellow-hammer. {Yellow cat} (Zo["o]l.), a yellow catfish; especially, the bashaw. {Yellow copperas} (Min.), a hydrous sulphate of iron; -- called also {copiapite}. {Yellow copper ore}, a sulphide of copper and iron; copper pyrites. See {Chalcopyrite}. {Yellow cress} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered, cruciferous plant ({Barbarea pr[ae]cox}), sometimes grown as a salad plant. {Yellow dock}. (Bot.) See the Note under {Dock}. {Yellow earth}, a yellowish clay, colored by iron, sometimes used as a yellow pigment. {Yellow fever} (Med.), a malignant, contagious, febrile disease of warm climates, attended with jaundice, producing a yellow color of the skin, and with the black vomit. See {Black vomit}, in the Vocabulary. {Yellow flag}, the quarantine flag. See under {Quarantine}, and 3d {Flag}. {Yellow jack}. (a) The yellow fever. See under 2d {Jack}. (b) The quarantine flag. See under {Quarantine}. {Yellow jacket} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of American social wasps of the genus {Vespa}, in which the color of the body is partly bright yellow. These wasps are noted for their irritability, and for their painful stings. {Yellow lead ore} (Min.), wulfenite. {Yellow lemur} (Zo["o]l.), the kinkajou. {Yellow macauco} (Zo["o]l.), the kinkajou. {Yellow mackerel} (Zo["o]l.), the jurel. {Yellow metal}. Same as {Muntz metal}, under {Metal}. {Yellow ocher} (Min.), an impure, earthy variety of brown iron ore, which is used as a pigment. {Yellow oxeye} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered plant ({Chrysanthemum segetum}) closely related to the oxeye daisy. {Yellow perch} (Zo["o]l.), the common American perch. See {Perch}. {Yellow pike} (Zo["o]l.), the wall-eye. {Yellow pine} (Bot.), any of several kinds of pine; also, their yellowish and generally durable timber. Among the most common are valuable species are {Pinus mitis} and {P. palustris} of the Eastern and Southern States, and {P. ponderosa} and {P. Arizonica} of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific States. {Yellow plover} (Zo["o]l.), the golden plover. {Yellow precipitate} (Med. Chem.), an oxide of mercury which is thrown down as an amorphous yellow powder on adding corrosive sublimate to limewater. {Yellow puccoon}. (Bot.) Same as {Orangeroot}. {Yellow rail} (Zo["o]l.), a small American rail ({Porzana Noveboracensis}) in which the lower parts are dull yellow, darkest on the breast. The back is streaked with brownish yellow and with black, and spotted with white. Called also {yellow crake}. {Yellow rattle}, {Yellow rocket}. (Bot.) See under {Rattle}, and {Rocket}. {Yellow Sally} (Zo["o]l.), a greenish or yellowish European stone fly of the genus {Chloroperla}; -- so called by anglers. {Yellow sculpin} (Zo["o]l.), the dragonet. {Yellow snake} (Zo["o]l.), a West Indian boa ({Chilobothrus inornatus}) common in Jamaica. It becomes from eight to ten long. The body is yellowish or yellowish green, mixed with black, and anteriorly with black lines. {Yellow spot}. (a) (Anat.) A small yellowish spot with a central pit, the fovea centralis, in the center of the retina where vision is most accurate. See {Eye}. (b) (Zo["o]l.) A small American butterfly ({Polites Peckius}) of the Skipper family. Its wings are brownish, with a large, irregular, bright yellow spot on each of the hind wings, most conspicuous beneath. Called also {Peck's skipper}. See Illust. under {Skipper}, n., 5. {Yellow tit} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of crested titmice of the genus {Machlolophus}, native of India. The predominating colors of the plumage are yellow and green. {Yellow viper} (Zo["o]l.), the fer-de-lance. {Yellow warbler} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of American warblers of the genus {Dendroica} in which the predominant color is yellow, especially {D. [ae]stiva}, which is a very abundant and familiar species; -- called also {garden warbler}, {golden warbler}, {summer yellowbird}, {summer warbler}, and {yellow-poll warbler}. {Yellow wash} (Pharm.), yellow oxide of mercury suspended in water, -- a mixture prepared by adding corrosive sublimate to limewater. {Yellow wren} (Zo["o]l.) (a) The European willow warbler. (b) The European wood warbler.
\Yel"low\, n. 1. A bright golden color, reflecting more light than any other except white; the color of that part of the spectrum which is between the orange and green. ``A long motley coat guarded with yellow.'' --Shak. 2. A yellow pigment. {Cadmium yellow}, {Chrome yellow}, {Indigo yellow}, {King's yellow}, etc. See under {Cadmium}, {Chrome}, etc. {Naples yellow}, a yellow amorphous pigment, used in oil, porcelain, and enamel painting, consisting of a basic lead metantimonate, obtained by fusing together tartar emetic lead nitrate, and common salt. {Patent yellow} (Old Chem.), a yellow pigment consisting essentially of a lead oxychloride; -- called also {Turner's yellow}.
\Yel"low\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Yellowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Yellowing}.] To make yellow; to cause to have a yellow tinge or color; to dye yellow.
\Yel"low\, v. i. To become yellow or yellower.