warning-colored
|warn-ing-col-ored|
🇺🇸
/ˈwɔɹnɪŋˌkʌlɚd/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɔːnɪŋˌkʌləd/
color that signals danger
Etymology
'warning-colored' is a compound formed from the English noun/verb 'warning' and the adjective 'colored' (from 'color'), where 'warning' derives from Old English roots meaning 'to give notice' and 'color' ultimately comes from Latin 'color' meaning 'hue'.
'warning' evolved from Old English words such as 'warnian' (to admonish) and related Germanic roots; 'color' passed from Latin 'color' into Old French and Middle English (e.g. 'colour', 'coloren'), and the adjectival compound 'warning-colored' is a Modern English formation combining these elements.
Initially, the elements meant 'a notice/to warn' and 'hue'; over time the compound came to be used adjectivally to denote a hue specifically used to signal caution or danger.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a color that signals caution or danger (e.g., bright yellow, orange, or red); resembling the color used for warnings or safety signs.
The construction barriers were warning-colored to make them highly visible to drivers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/15 06:01