I. ˈye-(ˌ)lō, dialect ˈye-lər or ˈya- adjective
Etymology: Middle English yelwe, yelow, from Old English geolu; akin to Old High German gelo yellow, Latin helvus light bay, Greek chlōros greenish yellow, Sanskrit hari yellowish
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : of the color yellow
b. : become yellowish through age, disease, or discoloration : sallow
c. sometimes offensive : having a yellowish or light brown complexion or skin
2.
a. : featuring sensational or scandalous items or ordinary news sensationally distorted
yellow journalism
b. : mean , cowardly
• yel·low·ish ˈye-lə-wish adjective
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
1. : something yellow or marked by a yellow color: as
a. sometimes offensive : a person having yellowish or light brown skin
b. : the yolk of an egg
2.
a. : a color whose hue resembles that of ripe lemons or sunflowers or is that of the portion of the spectrum lying between green and orange
b. : a pigment or dye that colors yellow
3. plural : jaundice
4. plural but singular in construction : any of several plant diseases caused especially by phytoplasmas and marked by yellowing of the foliage and stunting
III. verb
Date: 15th century
intransitive verb
: to become or turn yellow
transitive verb
: to make yellow : give a yellow tinge or color to
yellow ed by time