Color bleeding is a global illumination effect where reflected light projects some of the object’s diffusely (as opposed to specularly or glossily) reflected color onto a nearby surface.
An object’s diffuse color is partially reflected while the rest of the colors are absorbed. The light that is reflected can project some of the diffuse color onto the object next to it.
For example, a bright red apple on a pure white table cloth ‘spills’ red onto the table cloth.