colour-man
Definition
- Noun:
- A seller of paints and pigments: "colour-man" refers to a person who sells paints, dyes, and other colouring materials, especially to artists or decorators.
- A person who deals in artists' supplies: In a broader sense, a "colour-man" is a merchant who stocks and sells materials used for painting, such as pigments, brushes, and varnishes.
Usage Examples
- (A seller of paints and pigments.)
- (A merchant specializing in artists' supplies.)
Advanced Usage
- Historical context: In older English usage, "colour-man" often referred to a shopkeeper who ground and mixed pigments by hand, a practice common before the industrial production of paints.
- The colour-man's shop was a treasure trove of raw pigments, oils, and brushes. (A historical reference to a specialized supplier.)
Variants and Related Words
- Colour-woman (n): a female seller of paints or pigments (less common).
- The colour-woman inherited the business from her father and continued grinding pigments. (A female colour-man.)
- Colour shop (n): a store that sells paints and painting supplies.
- He visited the colour shop to restock his palette. (A shop selling colouring materials.)
Synonyms
- Pigment seller: a person who sells colouring substances.
- Paint dealer: a merchant who trades in paints and related products.
- Art supplier: a provider of materials for artists, including paints and pigments.
Related Idioms
- "To be a colour-man": (archaic) to be knowledgeable about or skilled in mixing paints.
- He was known as a colour-man, able to match any shade from memory. (Someone expert in colour mixing.)
Usage Notes
- The term "colour-man" is now largely historical or specialized; modern equivalents include "art supply store owner" or "paint retailer." It is not commonly used in everyday conversation.