色物(いろもの)

いろもの
noun
colored items (laundry); variety act
daily-lifeentertainment
1. colored laundry items
Clothing and other laundry items that have color or pattern, as opposed to plain white items. Used mainly when sorting a wash load.
色物(いろもの)と白物(しろもの)を分(わ)ける。
I separate the colors from the whites.
色物(いろもの)は色(いろ)が落(お)ちやすいから、別(べつ)に洗(あら)う。
Colored items tend to bleed, so I wash them separately.
色物(いろもの)は裏返(うらがえ)して洗濯機(せんたくき)に入(い)れると色落(いろお)ちを防(ふせ)げる。
If you turn colored items inside out before putting them in the washing machine, you can prevent color loss.
2. variety act (in a vaudeville program)
In a 寄席(よせ) (vaudeville hall) program, any act that is not 落語(らくご) storytelling — magic, comic duo acts, juggling, and the like. Named for the colored ink once used to mark these acts on programs.
寄席(よせ)の番組(ばんぐみ)に色物(いろもの)も入(はい)っている。
The vaudeville program includes variety acts too.
色物(いろもの)の芸人(げいにん)が手品(てじな)を披露(ひろう)した。
The variety-act performer showed off some magic tricks.
落語(らくご)の合間(あいま)に色物(いろもの)を挟(はさ)むことで番組(ばんぐみ)に変化(へんか)をつける。
Inserting variety acts between the rakugo storytelling adds variety to the program.

色物(いろもの) literally means "colored thing." The two senses are unrelated in modern usage but share the same root idea: something distinguished from a plain, unmarked default by color.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 白物(しろもの): whites (laundry) — the direct counterpart of sense 1; also means "white goods" (major appliances), a sense 色物(いろもの) does not share.

Related Words

Compare: 白物(しろもの) (whites (laundry))
general
Added 2026.9.3 21:27 · Revised 2026.9.3 21:38
30500/30794_iromono