(a) Of an object, a substance, color, etc.: yellow, yellowish; of any of the various shades of yellow, golden, saffron-colored, amber-colored, yellowish brown; also in conventional comparisons; ~ (of) colour, of ~ colour, ~ coloured; ~ gold, yellow gold, pure gold (as opposed to red gold, which contains an alloy of copper); ~ red, ?yellowish red, orange-red, scarlet; ~ water, yellow dye; (b) gray, bluish gray; swart ~, dark gray.

(a) Of cloth, clothing, etc.: colored yellow with dye; also, of representations of birds, garlands, etc.: colored yellow or embroidered with yellow thread; ~ lether, ?leather left its natural color; ?leather which has been dyed yellow; grene ~, greenish yellow; (b) of a person: dressed in yellow clothing; ~ man.

(a) Of an animal, an animal’s fleece or hair, a reptile: light brown in color, brownish, yellowish brown, dun, fawn-colored; also, of the color of a hart: yellowish, golden brown, buff; (b) of a frog, crab: ?of a grayish or blue-gray color [may belong to (a)].

(a) Of the eyes, the color of eyes: light-colored, ?gray, ?hazel; ?also, yellow, golden [quot. c1440]; gold ~; (b) of the hair, beard, etc.: blond, golden, flaxen; also in conventional comparisons; ~ her, her ~, blond hair; also used of the muscular flesh on the sides of the back of the neck [quot. c1475]; (c) of the complexion, skin, etc.: of a yellowish hue, sallow; pale; of a person: having a naturally yellowish complexion or skin color, sallow; also, having an unhealthy pallor; having an unnatural yellowness of complexion, ?jaundiced; swart ~; ~ blo, ~ and bleu, ?olive-skinned; ~ and blak, ?of dusky complexion, having brownish skin; ~ colour, sallowness; ~ red, of the cheeks: yellowish red; ~ spot, ?a yellowish discoloration on the body indicative of jaundice.

Chiefly med. & pathol. (a) of urine, saliva, pus, etc.: of a yellow color characteristic of morbidity, infection, an imbalance of humors, etc.; of a bodily humor: unnaturally yellow in color; swart ~; (b) of the whites of the eye: tinged with yellow, yellowish; (c) the ~ adle (ivel, jaunis, sought, swot), yellow jaundice; the blak ~ ivel, jaundice accompanied by deep discoloration, black jaundice.

(a) In bird name: ~ finch, a songbird of the family Fringillidae, prob. a goldfinch Carduelis carduelis; (b) in plant names: ~ bothel (bothen), the corn marigold Chrysanthemum segetum; ~ dokke, golden dock Rumex maritimus; ~ golde (golden), the European marigold Calendula officinalis; (c) in name of chemical compound: ~ coperose, a metallic sulfate of some sort; (d) in name of medicinal compound: ~ poudre, a yellow powder used in treating illnesses of the eye.

In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.200].