dye

[dahy]

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noun

a coloring material or matter.

a liquid containing coloring matter, for imparting a particular hue to cloth, paper, etc.

color or hue, especially as produced by dyeing.

verb (used with object), dyed, dye·ing.

to color or stain; treat with a dye; color (cloth, hair, etc.) with a substance containing coloring matter: to dye a dress green.

to impart (color) by means of a dye: The coloring matter dyed green.

verb (used without object), dyed, dye·ing.

to impart color, as a dye: This brand dyes well.

to become colored or absorb color when treated with a dye: This cloth dyes easily.

Nearby words

Idioms

of the deepest/blackest dye, of the most extreme or the worst sort: a prevaricator of the blackest dye.

Origin of dye

before 1000; Middle English dien, Old English dēagian, derivative of dēag a dye

Related forms

dy·a·ble, dye·a·ble, adjectivedy·er, nounre·dye, verb (used with object), re·dyed, re·dy·ing.un·dy·a·ble, adjective

un·dyed, adjective

Can be confuseddie dye

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dye

They dye their hair and alter their clothes, but not enough to attract attention from authorities.
North Korea’s Secret Movie Bootleggers: How Western Films Make It Into the Hermit Kingdom|Lizzie Crocker|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fame came only after Cohn pressured her to diet, dye her hair, cap her teeth, and change her name.
Should We Give Kim Novak a Break on the Oscar Plastic Surgery Hate-Tweeting?|Lizzie Crocker|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“However, the dye job takes about five hours, and costs at least 600 yuan,” or nearly $100, says one employee.
China’s Dog-Dyeing Craze: Once Shunned, Pet Pooches Now Embraced|Melinda Liu|July 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Judd Apatow is the one who famously had you dye your hair red for your breakout role in Superbad.
Emma Stone On ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ Andrew Garfield, & More|Marlow Stern|June 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST

In her spare time, she has focused on other vices—hair dye, “tea.”
Lindsay Lohan Heads to Jail|Rebecca Dana|July 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Then it is rather difficult to dye to shade, much of the result depending on conditions over which the dyer has little control.
The Dyeing of Woollen Fabrics|Franklin Beech
Silk is dyed by dipping the skeins or yards of silk in great vats of dye.
Clothing and Health|Helen Kinne
After it had "taken" well, the cloth was removed from the dye and rinsed well, the rinse water was salted so as to set the color.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States|Work Projects Administration
She dye wid copperas and walnut and wild indigo and things like dat and make pretty cloth.
Slave Narratives, Oklahoma|Various
The dye applied to skin and hair gave him a grotesque, almost maniacal aspect.
The Message|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for dye

dye

noun

a staining or colouring substance, such as a natural or synthetic pigment

a liquid that contains a colouring material and can be used to stain fabrics, skins, etc

the colour or shade produced by dyeing

verb dyes, dyeing or dyed

(tr) to impart a colour or stain to (something, such as fabric or hair) by or as if by the application of a dye

Derived Formsdyable or dyeable, adjectivedyer, noun

Word Origin for dye

Old English dēagian, from dēag a dye; related to Old High German tugōn to change, Lettish dūkans dark

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dye

dye

Old English deah, deag "a color, hue, tinge," perhaps related to deagol "secret, hidden, dark, obscure," from Proto-Germanic *daugilaz (cf. Old Saxon dogol "secret," Old High German tougal "dark, hidden, secret").

dye

Old English deagian "to dye," from the source of dye (n.). Spelling distinction between dye and die was not firm till 19c. "Johnson in his Dictionary, spelled them both die, while Addison, his near contemporary, spelled both dye" [Barnhart]. Related: dyed. Figurative phrase dyed in the wool (or grain) is from dyeing while the material is in its raw state, which has a more durable effect.

Medicine definitions for dye

dye

[dī]

n.

A substance used to color materials or substances, such as cells, tissues, and microorganisms.

dye

noun

verb (used with object), dyed, dye·ing.

verb (used without object), dyed, dye·ing.

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Idioms

Origin of dye

Examples from the Web for dye

dye

noun

verb dyes, dyeing or dyed

Word Origin for dye

dye

dye

dye

n.