Luteous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈluːtiəs/

Definitions

1. Of a deep yellow or orange-yellow color, resembling egg yolk or golden flowers
2. Having a rich yellow or orange tone, often likened to the color of certain flowers or fruits that embody the warmth of sunlight
3. Having a hue that is characterized by a warm, rich yellow or orange shade reminiscent of ripe fruits and sunlit flowers

Etymology: Latin "lūteus" meant "saffron-coloured" or "yellow-orange," and it was the colour of things like the saffron robes of certain Roman festivals and the yellow of clay, since the adjective was derived from "lutum," mud or loam. That link to clay is the surprise: a colour name grew out of wet earth, so the word's original sense is about the look of mud rather than of flowers or fruit. English borrowed the word directly from Latin as "luteous," keeping its sense of a warm yellow, and it has stayed a rare, learned term. Because it sits so close to the Latin, it lacks the everyday ring of "yellow" or "golden," and writers reach for it mainly when they want a heavier, more specialised shade.

Synonyms: yellow, golden, gilded

Antonyms: blue, red, green