three-color
|three-col-or|
🇺🇸
/ˈθriːˌkʌl.ɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈθriːˌkʌl.ə/
made of three colors
Etymology
'three-color' is a Modern English compound formed from the word 'three' (Old English 'þrīe', from Proto-Germanic *þrīz meaning 'three') and 'color' (from Old French 'colour', from Latin 'color' meaning 'hue, appearance').
'color' entered English via Old French 'colour' from Latin 'color'; 'three' comes from Old English 'þrīe' (and earlier Proto-Germanic *þrīz). The compound 'three-color' is a straightforward modern formation in English combining these elements, and it is analogous to older single-word forms like 'tricolor' derived later.
Originally the elements meant 'three' and 'hue/appearance' respectively; combined in Modern English they retain the transparent meaning 'consisting of three colors' with little semantic change.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a flag, emblem, or design that uses three colors (a 'tricolor').
The city's three-color flew over the square during the festival.
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Adjective 1
having or consisting of three colors; composed of three different colors (equivalent to 'tricolored').
She wore a three-color scarf to match the team's uniform.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 11:55