code yellow

English

Etymology

Perhaps originally a code used for this situation in some hospitals, or named in imitation of hospital codes and in reference to the yellow colour of urine. (Hospitals today use code yellow for various things including an emergency requiring all personnel to report to the hospital, a bomb threat requiring all personnel to evacuate the hospital, an indication that a patient should be prioritized, an animal being loose, etc.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

code yellow (uncountable)

1. (humorous) The situation where a person urinates in an undesirable location (e.g. hospital bed or retail store), requiring cleanup.

   Coordinate term: code brown

Related terms

• colour code
• code blue
• code red

See also

• number one