I.color, hue, tint.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “varii rerum,” Lucr. 2, 786: “nequeunt sine luce Esse,” id. 2, 795: “aureus ignis,” id. 6, 205: “albus,” id. 2, 823; cf.: “color albus praecipue decorus deo est,” Cic. Leg. 2, 18, 45: “purpureus conchyli,” Lucr. 6, 1073: “Tyrios mirare,” Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 18; Ov. M. 4, 165; 10, 261; cf. id. ib. 6, 65; Verg. G. 1, 452: “colorem accipere,” Plin. 11, 38, 91, § 225: “bibere,” id. 8, 48, 73, § 193: “inducere picturae,” id. 35, 10, 36, § 102: “color caerulo albidior, viridior et pressior,” Plin. Ep. 8, 20, 4: “amethystinus,” Suet. Ner. 32: “color in pomo est, ubi permaturuit, ater,” Ov. M. 4, 165; Plin. 30, 2, 6, § 16: “bonus,” Varr. R. R. 3, 7, 10: “melior,” Plin. 7, 6, 5, § 41: colores, oculos qui pascere possunt, Lucr. 2, 419: “rebus nox abstulit atra colorem,” Verg. A. 6, 272: “quam cito purpureos deperdit terra colores,” Tib. 1, 4, 30: “nec varios discet mentiri lana colores,” Verg. E. 4, 42: “Iris, Mille trahens varios adverso sole colores,” id. A. 4, 701.—Poet.: “ducere, of grapes, etc.,” to acquire color, become colored, Verg. E. 9, 49; Ov. M. 3, 485; cf. Sen. Ep. 71, 30.—
2. Meton.
a. Coloring stuff, dyestuff: “regionis naturā minii et chrysocollae et aliorum colorum ferax,” Flor. 4, 12, 60; Plin. 35, 6, 12, § 30 sq.—
b. Flowers of varied colors: “aspice quo submittat humus formosa colores,” Prop. 1, 2, 9; Val. Fl. 6, 492.—
B. Specif., the natural color of men, the complexion, tint, hue: “qui color, nitor, vestitus,” Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 11: “formae autem dignitas coloris bonitate tuenda est, color exercitationibus corporis,” Cic. Off. 1, 36, 130: “venusti oculi, color suavis,” id. Tusc. 5, 16, 46: “verus (opp. to paint),” Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 27 Don.; cf. Ov. A. A. 3, 164; “and fucatus,” Hor. Epod. 12, 10: “senex colore mustellino,” Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 22: “niveus,” Hor. C. 2, 4, 3: “albus,” fair, Ov. M. 2, 541: “egregius,” Cic. Fin. 2, 20, 64: “verecundus,” Hor. Epod. 17, 21; cf.: “vide Num ejus color pudoris signum indicat,” Ter. And. 5, 3, 7: colorem mutare, to change or lose color (on account of any excitement of the passions, from shame, fear, pain, etc.), to blush, etc., Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 38; cf. Cic. Clu. 19, 54: “color excidit,” Ov. M. 2, 602: “perdere,” id. ib. 3, 99: “adeo perturbavit ea vox regem, ut non color, non voltus ei constaret,” Liv. 39, 34, 7.—*
b. Prov.: “homo nullius coloris,” an unknown man, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 99 (like the phrase: albus an ater sit; v. albus).—
2. Sometimes for beautiful complexion, fine tint, beauty: “o formose puer, nimium ne crede colori,” Verg. E. 2, 17: “quo fugit Venus, heu, quove color?” Hor. C. 4, 13, 17; Ov. H. 3, 141.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., color, i.e. external form, state, condition, position, outward show, appearance (predominant in rhet.; v. 2.; elsewh. rare, and mostly poet.): “amisimus omnem non modo sucum ac sanguinem, sed etiam colorem et speciem pristinam civitatis,” Cic. Att. 4, 16, 10: “vitae,” Hor. S. 2, 1, 60; cf.: omnis Aristippum decuit color et status et res, every color became him, i. e. he accommodated himself to every condition, id. Ep. 1, 17, 23: novimus quosdam, qui multis apud philosophum annis persederint, et ne colorem quidem duxerint, have not acquired even the outward appearance, i.e. have imbibed or learned nothing, Sen. Ep. 108, 5; cf. Quint. 10, 1, 59: omnia eundem ducunt colorem; “nec Persis Macedonum mores adumbrare nec Macedonibus Persas imitari indecorum,” Curt. 10, 3, 14 Vogel ad loc. —
2. A class, fashion, kind.
a. In gen. (rare): “hos maxime laudat.. egregium hoc quoque, sed secundae sortis ingenium ... hic tertius color est,” Sen. Ep. 52, 4: “tertium illud genus... sed ne hic quidem contemnendus est color tertius,” id. ib. 75, 15; cf.: “in omni vitae colore,” Stat. S. 2 prooem. init.—
b. Esp., of diction, character, fashion, cast, coloring, style: “ornatur igitur oratio genere primum et quasi colore quodam et suco suo,” Cic. de Or 3, 25, 95; cf. id. ib. 3, 52, 199: “non unus color prooemii, narrationis, argumentorum, etc.,” Quint. 12, 10, 71: “qui est, inquit, iste tandem urbanitatis color?” Cic. Brut. 46, 171: “color dicendi maculis conspergitur,” Quint. 8, 5, 28; cf.: “color totus orationis,” id. 6, 3, 110: “simplicis atque inaffectati gratia,” id. 9, 4, 17: “tragicus,” Hor. A. P. 236: “operum colores,” id. ib. 86.—
B. Pregn. (cf. supra, 1. B. 2.), a beautiful, brilliant quality or nature, splendor, lustre, brilliancy (freq. only in rhet. lang.): “nullus argento color est avaris Abdito terris,” Hor. C. 2, 2, 1.—
2. Of diction.
a. A high, lively coloring, embellishment: “intelleges nihil illius (Catonis) lineamentis nisi eorum pigmentorum quae inventa nondum erant, florem et colorem defuisse,” Cic. Brut. 87, 298; id. de Or. 3, 25, 100; id. Q. Fr. 2, 13 (15 a), 2.—
b. In a bad sense, t. t., an artful concealment of a fault, a pretext, palliation, excuse, Quint. 4, 2, 88 Spald.; 6, 5, 5; 10, 1, 116; 11, 1, 81; 12, 1, 33; cf. Sen. Contr. 3, 21; 3, 25: “res illo colore defenditur apud judicem, ut videatur ille non sanae mentis fuisse, etc.,” Dig. 5, 2, 5: sub colore adipiscendae possessionis, Cod. Th. 3, 6, 3; Juv. 6, 280.
