dye

1 of 2

noun

ˈdī 

1

: color from dyeing

2

: a soluble or insoluble coloring matter

dye

2 of 2

verb

dyed; dyeing

transitive verb

1

: to impart a new and often permanent color to especially by impregnating with a dye

2

: to impart (a color) by dyeing

intransitive verb

: to take up or impart color in dyeing

dyeability

ˌdī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

dyeable

ˈdī-ə-bəl 

adjective

dyer

ˈdī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• color
• colorant
• coloring
• dyestuff
• pigment
• stain

Verb

• bepaint [archaic]
• color
• paint
• pigment
• stain
• tincture
• tinge
• tint

Examples of dye in a Sentence

Noun

soaked the fabric in blue dye

Verb

She had been dyeing her hair for years.

The fabric is bleached, dyed, and then washed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One of the biggest dangers associated with the current food supply is food dyes, Siegel said. —Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2024

Cotton, a material foreign to ancient Greece, was imported from Persia, and the purple dye was reserved for elite use. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Seeking refuge, Farrow moved to England with her second husband, André Previn, dyed her hair brown, worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company and had children. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Rose McGowan deliberately dyed her brown hair blonde to contrast with Neve Campbell — and chose her own wardrobe. —Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dehe, from Old English dēah, dēag

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dye

• aniline dye
• azo dye
• piece-dye
• tie-and-dye
• tie-dye
• vat dye
• xanthene dye
• yarn-dye

Kids Definition

dye

1 of 2 noun

ˈdī 

1

: color produced by dyeing

2

: a material used for dyeing or staining

dye

2 of 2 verb

dyed; dyeing

: to stain or color usually permanently

dyer

ˈdī(-ə)r 

noun

Medical Definition

dye

1 of 2 noun

ˈdī 

1

: color from dyeing

2

: a soluble or insoluble coloring matter

dye

2 of 2 verb

dyed; dyeing

transitive verb

1

: to impart a new and often permanent color to especially by impregnating with a dye

2

: to impart (a color) by dyeing

dyeing blue on yellow

intransitive verb

: to take up or impart color in dyeing