What does unicoloured mean?
Unicoloured means having a single colour: the subject may be entirely one hue rather than patterned, variegated, or divided into contrasting areas. The word is most often encountered in formal descriptions of birds, insects, objects, and graphic design, where compact wording is useful. It also describes fabric, pottery, or paint that uses one consistent colour without decorative variation. Although its meaning is simple, the term can be more compact than the explanatory phrase “of a single colour” and explicitly distinguishes an unmarked surface from one with multicoloured markings. In British English, the ending -oured is standard; American English generally uses “unicolored.” The word is less conversational than “plain” or “solid-coloured,” but it remains a useful label when the presence or absence of colour variation is itself significant.
adjectiveHaving only one colour; not multicoloured, variegated, or marked with contrasting colours.
- Of one colour; lacking variation or contrasting colours.
"The naturalist noted that the bird's unicoloured plumage made it difficult to distinguish from its surroundings."
"The specimen was described as unicoloured because its plumage showed no visible pattern."
"The curator placed the two unicoloured ceramic vessels side by side."
One word says it all: uni means one, so a unicoloured object wears a single hue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unicoloured come from?
Unicoloured was formed in English by combining the Latin-derived prefix uni-, meaning “one,” with colour. Colour entered English through Old French couleur, ultimately from Latin color. The same Latin element underlying uni- also appears in words such as uniform, unilateral, and unicellular, while the closely related American spelling “unicolored” differs only in orthographic convention.
How unicoloured is actually used
This is a formal or specialist word, particularly natural in descriptions of organisms and objects. In everyday speech, “one-coloured” or “solid-coloured” may sound more natural. The form “unicolored” is standard in American English.
Easily confused with unicoloured
Unicoloured means that an object has only one colour, whereas multicoloured means that it has several different colours.