Colourless

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkʌlə(ɹ).ləs/

Definitions

1. Lacking any hue or pigmentation; devoid of visual appeal, interest, or distinctive character
2. Free from any shades or tones
3. characterized by a lack of distinctiveness or notable features in appearance or quality

Etymology: "Colourless" is a plain compound: "colour" with the suffix "-less", meaning "without". The suffix descends from an Old English word, "-lēas", which shares its root with "lose" and originally meant "free from" or "lacking" in the sense of being left without something. English attached it freely to nouns, so "colourless" simply describes anything without hue. The noun underneath has a longer journey. "Colour" came into Middle English from Old French "color", borrowed from Latin "color", with roots reaching back to a Proto-Indo-European root for "to cover" or "to hide". Nothing in the English compound is surprising, but the word "colour" itself has travelled a long way to end up describing the light-based sensation we now call hue.

Synonyms: clear, colorless

Antonyms: colored