discoloration
Americannoun
-
the act or fact of discoloring or the state of being discolored.
-
a discolored marking or area; stain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of discoloration
Explanation
A discoloration is a change in something's color, usually for the worse. A shirt fading is a type of discoloration. When the color of something gets dingier, duller, or faded, this process is called discoloration. Rust on a car is a type of discoloration. A coffee stain is a type of discoloration. If a person looks green because they're sick, that's a type of discoloration. Most things suffer discoloration over time, because everything ages and fades over time. If you wash a red t-shirt enough times, discoloration might eventually make it pink.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Park Police said grass samples have been collected for testing to determine what caused the discoloration of the lawn on the National Mall and the investigation is ongoing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
It could not be toxic, enter the bloodstream, or cause discoloration of teeth.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 13, 2026
One of the issues Dr Lee said the panel had found was that skin discoloration noted on some of the babies was, he claimed, wrongly attributed to air embolus by the prosecution.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2025
Red bell peppers, which also suffer in quality and quantity because of climate change, “sometimes have an odd, dark discoloration inside and don’t seem as vibrant or crisp as they once were.”
From Salon ● Jan. 16, 2025
Mariama pointed at the smallest of the braiders, who had a skin condition, pinkish-cream whorls of discoloration on her arms and neck that looked worryingly infectious.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Among the results, the trial revealed no signs of dangerous side effects such as heart problems, allergic reactions, or concerning skin discolorations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2023
Prof Kinsey told the court the skin discolorations observed on Child A had "cemented" her concerns that he had suffered an air embolus.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2022
All of them can infect cucurbits and lead to discolorations as well as unsightly bumps.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2022
The specimens they studied were stiff, with dark discolorations of dead tissue.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 10, 2022
Stacks of bunk beds, a chalkboard, bright blue cabinets that stretched from floor to ceiling, large windows boarded up with plywood, and strange square discolorations on the wall, where posters must have once hung.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
