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警戒色 (けいかいしょく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

警けい戒かい色しょく

け

い

か

い

しょ

く

Meanings

1

noun

warning coloration; aposematic coloration

Biological term for conspicuous colors or patterns that signal danger or unpalatability to predators.

毒どくを持もつカエルは、しばしば鮮あざやかな警けい戒かい色しょくをしている。
Poisonous frogs often have vivid warning coloration.
警けい戒かい色しょくは、捕ほ食しょく者

しゃ

に

「

自じ

分ぶん

は

まずい

」

と

知し

ら

せる

役やく

割わり

が

ある

。

Warning coloration serves to inform predators that the animal is unpalatable.

Kanji

警admonish, commandment
戒commandment
色color

Similar words

保ほ護ご色しょく
保護色 (protective coloration) helps an organism blend into its environment, while 警戒色 makes it stand out to warn predators.
擬ぎ態たい
擬態 (mimicry) involves resembling another organism or object, which can include warning coloration but is a broader concept.

Etymology

Compound of 警戒 (けいかい, 'warning, caution') and 色 (しょく, 'color'). The term is a direct calque of the English 'warning color' or 'warning coloration', used in biology.