self-ˈcolour
[self B. 3.]
1. One uniform colour; orig. used of flowers (cf. next). Also, a colour belonging to the same series as another.
| 1665 Rea Flora 177 These self-colours [in Columbines] are not valued. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Tulipa 8 C 3/1 These do, in time, break into various beautiful Stripes, according to the Ground of their former Self-colour. 1849 Q. Rev. Mar. 414 The cattle of mountainous countries..are always of self-colours—black, red, or dun. 1859 Gullick & Timbs Painting 19 The system of shading with a ‘self-colour’, as pink with crimson. 1888 Sansone Dyeing vii. 154 Madder is still employed..in wool dyeing, both as self-colour and in combination with other dyewoods. 1927 T. Woodhouse Artificial Silk ix. 86 Knitted garment of a self-colour are made, in this simplest form, by the manipulation of a single continuous thread. 1950 Sun (Baltimore) 9 May 18 (Advt.), Barbara Lee leg⁓contour proportioned-fit sheer nylons with contrast or self-color seams. 1964 A. Butler Teaching Children Embroidery ii. iv. 35 Free experimenting, with stitches used in some areas, in which self-colour is worked as a texture. 1976 Morecambe Guardian 7 Dec. 1/1 (Advt.), 100% wool skirt suit with self-colour embroidery. |
2. The natural colour.
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 440/2 The Scotch boxes [sc. snuff-boxes], called ‘Holyroods’..are generally the ‘self-colour’ of the wood. |