false color

noun

: color in an image (such as a photograph) of an object that does not actually appear in the object but is used to enhance, contrast, or distinguish details

Examples of false color in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The satellite image, rendered in false color, highlights the infrared signature of the fresh lava, which appears vividly in shades of red and yellow. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025 On a positive note, the lens flares more like vintage glass, so the flare avoids false color and can be used for artistic effect. PCMAG, 27 Sep. 2024 Below: false color images of its foot and tail prints. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 27 June 2024 Researchers then use false color to translate these otherwise invisible wavelengths into a visible image. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for false color 

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of false color was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near false color

Cite this Entry

“False color.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20color. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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