Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers. The 3,000 hidden colors of the dictionary, with Kory Stamper
Apr 2, 2026
Kory Stamper, former Merriam-Webster editor and author of True Color, explores the quirky world of color names. She recounts odd dictionary definitions, the web of cross-references like “begonia,” and the clash between color science and commercial naming. Conversations cover Pantone, Munsell mapping, archives that reshaped entries, and why even “gray” and “grey” can be treated as different colors.
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How Begonia Sparked a Dictionary Investigation
- Kory Stamper found thousands of odd color definitions while proofreading Webster's Third and chased them through the dictionary to learn who wrote them.
- She noticed a distinct, confusing voice and cross-references like begonia > coral 3B > Fiesta that pulled her down a research rabbit hole.
The Dictionary Struggle Between Science And Readability
- Dictionaries must balance scientific rigor with plain-language clarity, so color entries became a push-pull between experts and lay readers.
- Merriam-Webster wanted Webster's Third to be technically rigorous yet understandable, creating tension when color science grew rapidly.
Pharmacopoeia Drove Early Color Standardization
- Early color standardization came from practical needs like the U.S. Pharmacopoeia needing reliable text descriptions of drug colors.
- Scientists convened to create plain-language, consistent ways to describe colors because photographs weren't used in pharmacopoeia entries.
