vat dye

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of the class of insoluble dyes impregnated into textile fibers by reduction into soluble leuco bases that regenerate the insoluble dye on oxidation.

vat dye

noun

1. a dye, such as indigo, that is applied by first reducing it to its leuco base, which is soluble in alkali, and then regenerating the insoluble dye by oxidation in the fibres of the material

Other Word Forms

• vat-dyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vat dye¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Indigo, a typical vat dye, is prepared both artificially and from natural sources.

From Project Gutenberg