dye

[dahy]

noun

1. a coloring material or matter.

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

3. color or hue, especially as produced by dyeing.

verb (used with object)

dyed, dyeing 

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

   to dye a dress green.

2. to impart (color) by means of a dye.

   The coloring matter dyed green.

verb (used without object)

dyed, dyeing 

1. to impart color, as a dye.

   This brand dyes well.

2. to become colored or absorb color when treated with a dye.

   This cloth dyes easily.

dye

/ daɪ /

noun

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

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

3. the colour or shade produced by dyeing

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• dyable adjective
• dyeable adjective
• dyer noun
• redye verb (used with object)
• undyable adjective
• undyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dye¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dye¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. of the deepest / blackest dye, of the most extreme or the worst sort.

   a prevaricator of the blackest dye.

Example Sentences

Perhaps the translation is off, or maybe something else needs tinkering; dyeing her hair Nora’s exact shade of brown doesn’t help, nor does attempting to do the film in a Norwegian accent.

Read more on Salon

Developed by the Lumière brothers, the miraculous process involved a glass plate dusted with potato-starch granules, microscopic in size, dyed red-orange, green and blue-violet.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Monday’s pink, fluorescent dye drop in Santa Monica Bay is part of a project to study how water circulation could be driving poor water quality.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He gained about 40 pounds, wore a wig and dyed his eyebrows since he did not want to rely on prosthetics.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Ultra-processed foods are defined as containing more than five ingredients which you would not find at home in your kitchen cupboard, such as emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, dyes and sweeteners.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• pigment 
• stain 
• tint