dye

[dahy]

See more synonyms for dye on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

Can be confuseddie dye

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dye

Contemporary Examples

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
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
“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
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
To get Uggie to look like the other two dogs, handlers bathed him in a dye that turned his coat white for several months.
Hollywood's Top Dog: 'The Artist' Star Uggie
Ramin Setoodeh
December 5, 2011

Historical Examples

You can't see his face for his whiskers, and can't see his whiskers for the dye upon 'em.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
They dye them different colours, and cloath themselves therewith.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
For verily, it is as ridiculous to dye the hair white as to dye it black.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
To dye gloves to look like York tan or Limerick, put some saffron into a pint of water boiling hot, and let it infuse all night.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Dry a small piece of the lining to see whether the colour is deep enough; and if approved, put it in and wash it in the dye.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

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

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

n.

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").

v.

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.

dye in Medicine

dye

(dī)

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

dye

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}dye

Examples from the Web for dye

Contemporary Examples

They dye their hair and alter their clothes, but not enough to attract attention from authorities.

Fame came only after Cohn pressured her to diet, dye her hair, cap her teeth, and change her name.

“However, the dye job takes about five hours, and costs at least 600 yuan,” or nearly $100, says one employee.

Judd Apatow is the one who famously had you dye your hair red for your breakout role in Superbad.

To get Uggie to look like the other two dogs, handlers bathed him in a dye that turned his coat white for several months.

Historical Examples

You can't see his face for his whiskers, and can't see his whiskers for the dye upon 'em.

They dye them different colours, and cloath themselves therewith.

For verily, it is as ridiculous to dye the hair white as to dye it black.

To dye gloves to look like York tan or Limerick, put some saffron into a pint of water boiling hot, and let it infuse all night.

Dry a small piece of the lining to see whether the colour is deep enough; and if approved, put it in and wash it in the dye.

dye

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for dye

n.

v.

dye

Origin of dye