discolor

American  

[dis-kuhl-er] / dɪsˈkʌl ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to change or spoil the color of; fade or stain.

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verb (used without object)

1. to change color; become faded or stained.

Other Word Forms

• undiscolored
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of discolor

1350–1400; Middle English discolouren < Old French descolorer < Late Latin discolorārī to change color, derivative of Latin discolor of another color. See dis- ¹, color

Explanation

If you wash your favorite white shirt with a brand new, bright red towel, your shirt is probably going to discolor, or change color from white to pink. Use the verb discolor when something fades or alters in color. Your teeth might discolor from drinking too much black tea, and you might notice your beach towel discoloring after a summer spent at the seaside. The word discolor has been in use since the fourteenth century, and it comes from the Old French descolorer, with colorer meaning "to color."

Example Sentences

Some vitamins, such as folic acid, can discolor urine and lead to inaccurate results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

If you're undertaking a home whitening process, sparkling water might discolor your teeth.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2024

As she “gets sciency,” she discussed the use of clear hangers made of a proprietary blend that doesn’t release gasses that could discolor a garment or leach chemicals.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Museum curators tasked with preserving plastic artifacts know all too well that plastics discolor, desiccate, fissure and fracture, undergoing a range of physical changes, including becoming micro- and even nano-scaled particles.

From Washington Post • Jan. 14, 2022

Salivation may, according to its violence, either remove all the teeth, or discolor any that may be retained.

From The Dog by Dinks

Related Words

• defile
• rust
• sully