Lewis & Short

cŏlōro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [color].

  1. I. To give a color to, to color, tinge (class.): corpora, Cic. N. D. 1, 39, 110: lignum sinopide, Plin. 35, 6, 13, § 31: lineas testa trita, id. 35, 3, 5, § 16: medicamentum rubricā vel atramento, Scrib. Comp. 228: coloratum Tithoni conjuge caelum, Ov. Am. 2, 5, 35.
    1. B. In partic., to color reddish or brownish, to tinge: cum in sole ambulem, natura fit ut colorer, Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 60; Quint. 5, 10, 81; Sen. Ep. 108, 4: pira sole, Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 54; Prop. 3 (4), 13, 16: colorat aequora Nilus, Cat. 11, 7.
  2. II. Trop. (cf. color, II.).
    1. A. In gen., to imbue thoroughly: sapientia nisi alte descendit et diu sedit animum non coloravit, sed infecit, Sen. Ep. 71, 30.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. Of discourse, to give it a coloring; and in pass., to retain or receive a coloring, to be tinged: cum istos libros studiosius legerim, sentio orationem meam illorum tactu quasi colorari, Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 60; id. Or. 13, 42: urbanitate quādam quasi colorata oratio, id. Brut. 46, 170.
      2. 2. (In a bad sense.) To give a coloring, to gloss over, palliate, Val. Max. 8, 2, 2: inepta sua serio vultu, Prud. Cath. 2, 35 (cf. color, II. B. b.).
        Hence, cŏlōrātus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Colored, having color: arcus, Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 51: uvae, Col. 11, 2: pira, Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 56.
      1. 2. Esp., colored red, red, imbrowned, Quint. 5, 10, 81: corpora, having a healthy color, id. 8, prooem. § 19; cf. virtus, Sen. Vit. Beat. 7, 3: aliquis speciosior et coloratior, Cels. 2, 2: Indi, Verg. G. 4, 293: Seres, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 6: Etrusci, Mart. 10, 68.
    2. B. Trop., colored, specious: ficta et colorata, Sen. Ep. 16, 2.
      Adv.: cŏlōrātē, in a specious or plausible manner: offert tale patrocinium, Quint. Decl. 285.