also: こくしょく
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Refers to the color black. Often used in descriptive or technical contexts, but 黒 (くろ) is more common in everyday speech.
彼は黒色のスーツを着ていた。
He was wearing a black suit.
この絵は黒色が強すぎる。
This painting has too much black in it.
黒 is the basic, everyday word for black. 黒色 is slightly more formal or technical, often used in descriptions of objects or in compound terms.
Compound of 黒 (くろ, 'black') + 色 (いろ, 'color'). The reading こくしょく is the on'yomi version, now largely obsolete.