yellow
[ yel-oh ]
/ ˈyɛl oʊ /
noun
adjective, yel·low·er, yel·low·est.
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become yellow: Yellow the sheets with dye. The white stationery had yellowed with age.
Origin of yellow
before 900; 1895–1900
for def 9; Middle English
yelou (adj. and noun), Old English
geolo, geolu (adj.); cognate with Dutch
geel, German
gelb, Latin
helvus pale-yellow; akin to Old Norse
gulr
usage note for yellow
It is perceived as insulting to use
yellow to describe a person of Asian or mixed racial origin, as in the terms
yellow peril and
high yellow.
OTHER WORDS FROM yellow
yel·low·ly, adverb yel·low·ness, nounWords nearby yellow
British Dictionary definitions for yellow journalism (1 of 2)
yellow journalism
noun
the type of journalism that relies on sensationalism and lurid exaggeration to attract readers
Word Origin for yellow journalism
C19: perhaps shortened from the phrase
Yellow Kid journalism, referring to the
Yellow Kid, a cartoon (1895) in the
New York World, a newspaper having a reputation for sensationalism
British Dictionary definitions for yellow journalism (2 of 2)
yellow
/ (ˈjɛləʊ) /
noun
adjective
verb
to make or become yellow
See also
yellows
Derived forms of yellow
yellowish, adjective yellowly, adverb yellowness, noun yellowy, adjectiveWord Origin for yellow
Old English
geolu; related to Old Saxon, Old High German
gelo, Old Norse
gulr, Latin
helvus
Cultural definitions for yellow journalism
yellow journalism
Inflammatory, irresponsible reporting by newspapers. The phrase arose during the 1890s, when some American newspapers, particularly those run by William Randolph Hearst, worked to incite hatred of Spain, thereby contributing to the start of the Spanish-American War. Newspapers that practice yellow journalism are called yellow press.