yellows
C2Formal (plant pathology); Informal/Archaic (medical, emotional).
Definition
Meaning
A disease affecting plants, especially cabbage, turnips, and related crops, causing yellowing and stunted growth.
1. The plural form of 'yellow', referring to multiple yellow objects or shades. 2. (Informal, dated) Jaundice. 3. (Informal) A state of jealousy or envy.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a plural noun for the colour, it is standard but less frequent than 'shades of yellow'. The plant disease sense is technical. The 'jaundice' sense is now archaic in medical contexts but persists in historical texts. The 'jealousy' sense is informal and somewhat literary.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The plant pathology term is used similarly in both varieties. The informal 'jealousy' sense is slightly more likely in British English historical/literary contexts.
Connotations
Neutral in technical (plant) use. The 'jealousy' sense carries a mild, old-fashioned, or poetic connotation.
Frequency
Very low frequency overall. Most common in specialized agricultural texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [crop] has/contracts/suffers from yellows.Yellows is caused by [pathogen/phytoplasma].The painting featured vibrant yellows.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Green with envy and yellow with jealousy (playful extension, not standard).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in agricultural supply or phytosanitary reports.
Academic
Used in plant pathology, horticulture, and agricultural science journals.
Everyday
Virtually unused. The colour plural is possible in art/design contexts.
Technical
The primary domain: a specific plant disease caused by various pathogens, often phytoplasmas or fungi.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The leaves are beginning to yellow in autumn.
- The old paper had yellowed at the edges.
American English
- The newspaper yellowed in the sun.
- The infection will cause the plant to yellow and wilt.
adverb
British English
- This usage is extremely rare to non-standard. 'Yellow' is not used as a standard adverb.
American English
- This usage is extremely rare to non-standard. 'Yellow' is not used as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- She wore a bright yellow raincoat.
- The yield sign is yellow and black.
American English
- He bought a yellow taxi cab model.
- The school bus is always yellow.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The artist used many yellows in her sunset painting.
- My crayon box has two different yellows.
- The gardener said the cabbages had yellows and needed to be removed.
- The autumn leaves turn beautiful yellows and reds.
- Aster yellows is a phytoplasma disease that affects a wide range of ornamental plants.
- In the 19th century, 'the yellows' was a common term for jaundice.
- Research into the vector transmission of beet yellows virus has advanced significantly.
- His chronic jealousy was described in the novel as a 'kind of moral yellows'.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a gardener yelling 'Oh no!' as their plants turn YELLOWS.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS A COLOUR (The affliction is named for its primary visible symptom).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not directly translate as 'жёлтые' for the disease; use specific terms like 'желтуха' (for plants) or 'хлороз'. The colour plural is correctly 'оттенки жёлтого'.
- The jealousy sense is a cultural metaphor not directly equivalent to Russian expressions for jealousy.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'yellows' as a singular noun (e.g., 'a yellows'). It is typically treated as plural in form but can be singular in construction for the disease (e.g., 'Yellows is a problem').
- Confusing it with 'yellow fever', which is a distinct human viral disease.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'yellows' used as a technical term today?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be, but it's less common than saying 'shades of yellow'. Its primary distinct meaning is a plant disease.
Historically, yes—it was an informal or archaic term for jaundice. In modern medical English, 'jaundice' is used exclusively.
Use it as a singular or plural noun for the disease: 'Tomato yellows is spreading' or 'These asters have the yellows.'
Chlorosis specifically refers to the yellowing of plant tissue due to chlorophyll failure, which is a symptom of 'yellows' and other diseases. 'Yellows' names the specific disease syndrome.