Green is a
color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a
wavelength of roughly 520–570
nanometers. In the
subtractive color system, it is not a
primary color, but is created out of a mixture of
yellow and
blue, or yellow and
cyan; it is considered one of the
additive primary colors. On the
HSV color wheel, also known as the
RGB color wheel, the
complement of green is
magenta; that is, a
purple color corresponding to an equal mixture of
red and
blue light. On a
color wheel based on traditional color theory (
RYB), the
complementary color to green is considered to be
red.
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The word
green is closely related to the
Old English verb
growan, "to grow". It is used to describe plants or the
ocean. Sometimes it can also describe someone who is inexperienced, jealous, or sick. In the United States of America,
green is a
slang term for money, among other things. Several colloquialisms have derived from these meanings, such as "green around the gills", a phrase used to describe a person who looks ill.
Several
minerals have a green color, including
emerald, which is colored green by its
chromium content. Animals such as frogs, lizards, and other reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects, and birds, appear green because of a mixture of layers of blue and green coloring on their
skin. By far the largest contributor to green in nature is
chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants
photosynthesize. Many creatures have adapted to their green environments by taking on a green hue themselves as
camouflage.
Culturally, green has broad and sometimes contradictory meanings. In some cultures, green symbolizes hope and growth, while in others, it is associated with death, sickness,
envy, or the
devil. The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. For example,
Islam venerates the color, as it expects paradise to be full of lush greenery. Green is also associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth for its connections to nature. Recent political groups have taken on the color as symbol of environmental protection and social justice, and consider themselves part of the
Green movement, some naming themselves
Green parties. This has led to similar campaigns in advertising, as companies have sold green, or
environmentally friendly, products.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green)