adj.
- having a colour or colours.
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(also Coloured)
wholly or partly of non-white descent (now usually offensive, except in South African use).
▸S. African historical of mixed ethnic origin.
n.
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(also Coloured)
dated or offensive a person who is wholly or partly of non-white descent.
▸S. African a person of mixed descent, usually speaking Afrikaans or English as their mother tongue.
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(coloureds)
clothes, sheets, etc. that are any colour but white.
Usage
Coloured referring to skin colour was adopted in the US by emancipated slaves as a term of racial pride after the end of the American Civil War. In Britain it was the accepted term until the 1960s, when it was superseded (as in the US) by black. In South Africa, the term is used to refer to people of mixed descent, and in this context is not considered offensive.
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