What does bicolor mean?
Bicolor describes something marked by exactly two colors, whether naturally occurring or by deliberate design. It appears most often in technical and descriptive contexts: a bicolor cat has a coat of two distinct colors such as black and white, a bicolor tulip bears petals of contrasting hues, and a bicolor flag divides its field between two colors. The word carries no strong emotional connotation; it is neutral and precise, favored where a compact, slightly formal label is useful — in breeding standards, botanical descriptions, and design specifications. In casual conversation, speakers typically reach for 'two-tone' instead. Bicolor derives from Latin bi- ('two') plus color, sharing that root with words like tricolor and discolor. Its British English counterpart is spelled bicolour. Beyond everyday use, bicolor also survives as a Latin species epithet in zoological and botanical nomenclature, attached to animals and plants characterized by two-color patterning.
adjectiveHaving two distinct colors or two-color patterning, especially of an animal's coat, a flower, or a flag or design.
- Having two colors or a two-color pattern, especially describing animals, plants, flags, or designs.
"The garden featured a striking bicolor tulip with petals that were deep purple on one side and white on the other."
"The breeder specializes in bicolor Persian cats with symmetrical patches of black and white."
"The national flag is bicolor, divided horizontally into red above and blue below."
That classic black-and-white cat napping on your porch is officially a bicolor cat — and so are the Dutch flag and many prized show tulips.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bicolor
Bicolor comes directly from Latin, combining bi- ('two') with color ('color'), and entered English as a learned borrowing rather than evolving through Middle English. The same Latin root color underlies related borrowings such as tricolor (three colors), discolor (of a different color), and coloration. In modern scientific Latin it serves as a species epithet for organisms displaying two-color markings. The word has been used in English since at least the mid-nineteenth century, primarily in descriptive natural history writing.
Related word forms
How bicolor is actually used
Register-neutral but slightly formal or technical in flavor; commonest in botany, zoology, horticulture, and vexillology. In everyday American speech people more often say 'two-tone' or 'two-colored'. British English uses the spelling 'bicolour'. In scientific naming it also appears as a Latin species epithet (e.g., Lanius bicolor), which is capitalized differently and functions taxonomically rather than as ordinary English.
Easily confused with bicolor
'Bicolour' is simply the British English spelling of the same word, while 'bicolor' is the standard American English spelling.