dye

[dahy] /daɪ/

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, dyeing.

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, dyeing.

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

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

Related forms

dyable, dyeable, adjective

dyer, noun

redye, verb (used with object), redyed, redying.

undyable, adjective

undyed, adjective

Can be confused

dice, die, dye.

Examples from the web for dye

When the fabric is placed in a dye vat, the color will not permeate the areas that have been permeated with wax.
Hair dye poisoning occurs when someone swallows dye or tint used to color hair.
The trade- off is the amount of dye the product deposits, which may mean frequent coloring.
The waxed areas preserve the color of the dye last used.
For all the test flowers, color-coded dye was added their pollen to help track its movement.
When the bundles are dipped in dye, the wrapped areas resist the color- similar to tie-dye.
Bundles of the indigo plant are soaked to extract the vibrant dye, while long sheets of cotton are laid out awaiting the color.
If it's cobalt pink rather than pale rose in color, it has been treated with a chemical bath of dye and extra sweetening agents.
For that matter, it could be a plastic with enough heavy-metal coloring dye in it to do the blocking.
We heard an entertaining speech by an author of best-selling zombie books and a student speaker who spoke about tie dye.

British Dictionary definitions for dye

dye

/daɪ/

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, dyed

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

Derived Forms

dyable, dyeable, adjective
dyer, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for 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").

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

dye in the Bible

The art of dyeing is one of great antiquity, although no special mention is made of it in the Old Testament. The Hebrews probably learned it from the Egyptians (see Ex. 26:1; 28:5-8), who brought it to great perfection. In New Testament times Thyatira was famed for its dyers (Acts 16:14). (See COLOUR.)