teal

Everyday

1. Teal is a blue-green colour, darker than turquoise. tree →
2. A teal is a small wild duck; the males often have a green stripe on the head and wing. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it is mostly a colour word for clothes, paint, school uniforms and art. In nature studies it names a small freshwater duck seen on ponds and marshes. Phrases: teal blue, dark teal, a flock of teal.

Examples

• She wore a teal jumper to the party. tree →
• Teal is a mix of blue and green. tree →
• We painted the sea teal in our art lesson. tree →
• A pair of teal landed on the pond. tree →
• The teal is one of the smallest ducks in Britain. tree →
• My new pencil case is teal with silver stars. tree →
• Dark teal looks good on the classroom wall display. tree →

Note

As a colour it is uncountable (a nice teal, but not usually teals). For the duck the plural is often the same: a flock of teal. Not to be confused with teel or with steal/steel.