flat-colored
|flat-col-ored|
🇺🇸
/ˌflætˈkʌlɚd/
🇬🇧
/ˌflætˈkʌləd/
uniform, unshaded color
Etymology
'flat-colored' is a compound formed from 'flat' + 'colored'. 'flat' originates from Old Norse 'flatr' meaning 'broad, level', while 'colored' ultimately comes from Latin 'color' (via Old French 'colour') meaning 'hue, appearance'.
'flat' passed into Middle English from Old Norse as a word meaning 'level' or 'broad'; 'color' entered English via Old French 'colour' from Latin 'color' and later took the English spelling 'color' (US) or 'colour' (UK). The compound 'flat-colored' is a modern combination used in visual-art and descriptive contexts.
The original components meant 'level/broad' and 'hue/appearance'; combined, the compound came to mean 'having an even, unvaried hue' and has been used especially to describe unshaded or matte areas in visual media.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a uniform, unshaded, matte area of color — no tonal gradation, highlights, or shading; often used in art, illustration, comics, and animation to describe areas filled with a single flat hue.
The comic panels were deliberately flat-colored to keep the focus on the linework.
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Last updated: 2025/10/14 07:56