*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ochre

From Old French ocre and its source Latin ōchra, from Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”), from ὠχρός (ōkhrós, “pale, ocher”) (modern Greek ωχρός (ochrós)).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To cover or tint with ochre.

adj

Having a yellow-orange colour. · Referring to cultures that covered their dead with ochre.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Old French ocre and its source Latin ōchra, from Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”), from ὠχρός (ōkhrós, “pale, ocher”) (modern Greek ωχρός (ochrós)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ocre"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ocre"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "ōchra"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ōchra"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ὤχρα",
        "4": "",
        "5": "pale yellow"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "el",
        "2": "ωχρός"
      },
      "expansion": "Greek ωχρός (ochrós)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ocre",
      "ocre#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "ōchra",
      "ochra#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ὤχρα",
      "ὤχρα#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ὠχρός",
      "ὠχρός#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ωχρός",
      "ωχρός#Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cover or tint with ochre."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "15368ec24e5a7c1828081087ce79c7584228723baf3213676d6cfbfcfc3f9623",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f81c94a2e3022e32f90a4da54db6ee10835c7f80c266925efff68dfabaac3051",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19634
    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Having a yellow-orange colour.",
        "Referring to cultures that covered their dead with ochre."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "65883cf00704c64db0cb628a922e68de60fb2f9604a4208281c858b5881418ef",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9a73569a63ef5c8dcb925cfd06f93596923327e5d82b65fbcce9cd341dc517c5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19633
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A clay earth pigment containing silica, aluminum and ferric oxide. · A somewhat dark yellowish orange colour. · The stop codon sequence "UAA". · Money, especially gold.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Old French ocre and its source Latin ōchra, from Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”), from ὠχρός (ōkhrós, “pale, ocher”) (modern Greek ωχρός (ochrós)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ocre"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ocre"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "ōchra"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ōchra"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ὤχρα",
        "4": "",
        "5": "pale yellow"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ὤχρα (ṓkhra, “pale yellow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "el",
        "2": "ωχρός"
      },
      "expansion": "Greek ωχρός (ochrós)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ocre",
      "ocre#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "ōchra",
      "ochra#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ὤχρα",
      "ὤχρα#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ὠχρός",
      "ὠχρός#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "ωχρός",
      "ωχρός#Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "word": "ócar",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "word": "ocr",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A clay earth pigment containing silica, aluminum and ferric oxide.",
        "A somewhat dark yellowish orange colour.",
        "The stop codon sequence \"UAA\".",
        "Money, especially gold."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable",
        "colloquial",
        "dated",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "f97f552ebe115212f55a69651eff12045d4cb80c53edb6a95530584fc6685937",
      "rawRecordSha256": "67499423c4907dded4acc2f29cec71d56d9a5661abf143974b5b184370cc22c4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19632
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Obsolete spelling of okra.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From an unknown West African language, probably Igbo ọ́kụ̀rụ̀, but compare Akan ŋkrũmã and ŋkrakra (“broth”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "a"
      },
      "expansion": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ig",
        "3": "ọ́kụ̀rụ̀"
      },
      "expansion": "Igbo ọ́kụ̀rụ̀"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ak",
        "2": "ŋkrũmã"
      },
      "expansion": "Akan ŋkrũmã"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ọ́kụ̀rụ̀",
      "ọkụrụ#Igbo"
    ],
    [
      "ŋkrũmã",
      "ŋkrũmã#Akan"
    ],
    [
      "ŋkrakra",
      "ŋkrakra#Akan"
    ],
    [
      "broth",
      "broth"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of okra."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "countable",
        "obsolete",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "a60bf137783604ebbbcdaf3f1af1d5c7797b8a31028a8c2b436a3d82e8c25f3f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "93d9cef4056a073e11e6bcfd2d3e4c41acefba074aba86f648391af933f297bc",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19635
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ochre →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-b2NocmU