Ochre Meaning
/ˈəʊkə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA clay earth pigment containing silica, aluminum and ferric oxide.
nounA somewhat dark yellowish orange colour.
Sentence Examples
"What's your favourite colour? Do you have a favourite colour?" "My favourite colour is ochre."
The cliffs glowed a deep ochre in the evening sunlight.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prehistoric painter used a natural yellow ____ from the soil to create images of animals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient cave paintings were made using ____ pigment mixed with animal fat.
Word Origin & History
From Old French ocre and its source Latin ōchra, from Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”), from ὠχρός (ōkhrós, “pale, ocher”) (modern Greek ωχρός (ochrós)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"‘What does he come here cheeking us for, then?’ cried Master Kidderminster, showing a very irascible temperament. ‘If you want to cheek us, pay your ochre at the doors and take it out.’"
— 1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 6, in Hard Times:
"[…] his eye was caught by the sight of one child in a group of smaller children playing in the shallows some little distance down—a white child, so white by contrast with the others that at first he thought it must be ochred, which it could not be while playing in the water."
— 1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter 14, in Capricornia, New York: Appleton, published 1943, page 229:
"The sun gloats in the sky, casting a gleam on the pasture where there was so much umbering and ochreing only moments before."
— 2009 July 6, Verlyn Klinkenborg, “How the Thunder Sounds”, in New York Times:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The prehistoric painter used a natural yellow ____ from the soil to create images of animals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient cave paintings were made using ____ pigment mixed with animal fat.