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cyan

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cyan

  • /ˈsaɪˌæn/
  • /ˈsaɪ.ən/
  • /saɪˈæn/
  • /ˈsaɪ.ən/ Canada
  • /sʌɪˈæn/ Canada
  • [ˈsəjan] dialectal
  • [səjˈan] dialectal

Rhymes with -aɪən, -æn

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κύανος (kúanos), a shade of blue variously described as similar to cornflower, copper carbonate, and lapis lazuli, Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀷𐀜 (ku-wa-no), possibly from Hittite [script needed] (kuwannan-, “a precious stone; copper; shade of blue”). Compare modern Greek κυανός (kyanós), also used for cyan.

noun cyans

  1. countable, uncountable An additive secondary colour midway between green and blue, evoked by wavelengths between ~490 and ~520 nm. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This four component color system is standard for most types of color printing, since black is an ink color in printing but is simply the absence of color in video.

    Similar: aqua

adjective more cyan · most cyan

  1. Of the colour cyan.

Translations

Every language

noun a colour between blue and green

Españolcian
한국어청록색 cheongnoksaek
日本語水色 mizu-iro, シアン shian, 青緑色 aomidori-iro
中文青色 qīngsè
हिन्दीफ़िरोज़ा firozā
Kiswahilicyan
Portuguêsturquesa, ciano
Françaiscyan
DeutschZyan, Cyan
Italianociano
Ελληνικάκυανός kyanós
Românăazur, cyan
Русскийбирюзо́вый birjuzóvyj
Tiếng Việtxanh lơ
العربيةسَمَاوِيّ samāwiyy
עבריתצִיאָן tsi'án

adj of the colour cyan

Españolcian
日本語シアン色の shian’iro no
中文青色的 qīngsè de
Portuguêsciano
Françaisturquois
Deutschtürkis, zyan
Ελληνικάκυανός kyanós
Русскийголубо́й golubój, бирюзовый birjuzovyj

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Cite this
MLA

"cyan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cyan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

cyan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cyan

Chicago

"cyan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cyan.

BibTeX
@misc{cyan_2026,
  title = {cyan},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cyan},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}