About this episode
This episode explores the challenges of defining color names in dictionaries, highlighting the work of lexicographers and Kory Stamper's book on the subject.
You know what's an absolutely pesky kind of word to define in a dictionary? Colour names. A passel of lexicographers spent years - decades, even - trying different ways to describe colours in words for Webster's Third International Dictionary. It was such a huge, complicated effort that it took twelve years for former Merriam-Webster lexicographer Kory Stamper to write a book about it. Content note: this episode contains a couple of category B swears. There is also mention of puke - but, emetophobes, it's not the puke that you think. Visit theallusionist.org/hues for more information about the topics in this episode plus a transcript of the episode. Find Kory's work at korystamper.com, including her new book True Color: the Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color, from Azure to Zinc . This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, on the unceded ancestral and traditional territory of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Music and editorial advice were provided by Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com. Sign up at theallusionist.org/donate to join me for regular livestreams where I read from my ever-expanding…
People in this episode
Host: Helen Zaltzman
Topics covered
- color names
- lexicography
- dictionary definitions
- language
- Kory Stamper
- color theory
Keywords
- color names
- lexicography
- dictionary
- Kory Stamper
- language
- Webster's Third International Dictionary
- True Color
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Merriam-Webster, Webster's Third International Dictionary, palebirdmusic.com, theallusionist.org
Products: True Color: the Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color, from Azure to Zinc
More episodes of The Allusionist
- 228. Draculae part 2: Surprises in the Vaults · May 25, 2026 · 36 min
- 227. Draculae part 1: Enter the Castle · May 11, 2026 · 23 min
- 226. Suburbia · April 27, 2026 · 44 min
- 224. Cosmic Hairball · February 9, 2026 · 16 min
- 223. Bonus 2025 · January 20, 2026 · 34 min
- 222. A Christmas Carol · December 7, 2025 · 2h 48m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Allusionist podcast page.