# teal

Pronunciation: US say "TEEL" /tiːl/; UK

## Noun

1. A dark bluish-green color, close to a deep shade of cyan.
   - Simple: A dark color that mixes blue and green.
   - _The designer chose teal for the lobby to give it a cool, calming feel._
   - _Against the brass fittings, the deep teal of the cabinets really stood out._
3. A small, brightly colored freshwater duck of the genus Anas, with a notably short neck.
   - Simple: A small, colorful freshwater duck with a short neck.
   - _A teal burst from the reeds as we approached the water's edge._
   - _Birdwatchers recorded three teal feeding among the mallards._
4. An independent political candidate, especially in Australia, who campaigns on climate action and integrity while holding broadly moderate economic views. *(Australia)*
   - Simple: An independent candidate in Australia who backs strong action on climate change.
   - _The teal unseated a cabinet minister in a traditionally safe conservative electorate._
   - _Across several suburban seats, teals reshaped the balance of power in parliament._

## Adjective

2. Of a bluish-green color, resembling a dark blend of blue and green.
   - Simple: Having a color that mixes blue and green.
   - _The designer chose teal upholstery to offset the pale walls._
   - _His old truck was a faded teal that had dulled over the years._

## Origin

From Middle English tele, probably from an unrecorded Old English *tǣle, cognate with West Frisian tjilling, Middle Dutch teling and Middle Low German telink, from Proto-Germanic *tailijaz, of unknown ultimate origin with no cognates outside Germanic. As the name of a dark greenish-blue shade, like the color on the bird's head and wings, it is attested from 1923.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/teal (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).