Lutea

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A term often denoting a yellow hue, particularly in botanical contexts
2. frequently used in the naming of various plants that exhibit yellow characteristics
3. refers to the color associated with certain species or variations in nature

Etymology: "Lutea" is the feminine plural form of "luteus," the Latin adjective meaning yellow, and the plural neuter form, "lutea," is the form that appears when the adjective modifies a group of things. The base word, "luteus," is the root of a whole family of English terms, including "lutein" and "luteal," which describe yellow pigments and the yellowish body that forms in the ovary, respectively. Because "lutea" is an inflected form, its meaning comes entirely from the singular adjective "luteus," which Latin speakers used for things with the colour of weld or saffron. English scientists took the Latin root directly, so the vocabulary they built on it reflects the older sense of "yellow" rather than the more everyday English word.

Synonyms: yellow, golden

Antonyms: blue, purple, dark