dye

1 of 2

noun

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 noun
dyeable adjective
dyer noun

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
The application took 30 minutes and then Novotny let the dye sit on Fox’s hair for 20 minutes before washing it out. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024 Brow tinting, or the process of applying semi-permanent dye to your brow hair, is a low-maintenance means of enhancing your natural look. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2024 As of Saturday, Russia had filed at least 15 criminal cases after people poured dye in ballot boxes, started fires or lobbed Molotov cocktails at polling stations. Christian Edwards, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Two women were arrested after pouring green dye into ballot boxes on the outskirts of Moscow with the aim of destroying voting slips, according to Russian media, in an act of protest that is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years, authorities said. Leila Sackur, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2024 Color eggs naturally Color eggs with natural dyes, like onion skins, red cabbage, and more. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2024 The pastas are all made with traditional bronze dyes by Sfoglini, a company in Coxsackie, in New York’s Hudson Valley, are high in fiber and protein and are also certified as regenerative organic, a high standard for farming quality. Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Voting in the presidential election has seen some acts of civil disobedience, with Russia filing at least 15 criminal cases after people poured dye in ballot boxes, started fires or lobbed Molotov cocktails. Radina Gigova, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Next, pat each egg dry with a paper towel, but be careful not to rub or wipe the egg's surface, as this might smear or remove the dye from the shell. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Then, a few seasons in, Preston — who was blond and wore a red wig on camera — decided to dye her hair red. Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024 While Easter egg hunts, dyeing eggs and photos with the Easter Bunny are a fun time with the kids, what about the day of? Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2024 Learn more › Biting the heads off chocolate bunnies is fun, but the real thrill of Easter is dyeing eggs. Annie Colbert, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024 To fit that mold, Silverman dyed her hair blonde, and started to pair restriction with intense exercise to lose weight. Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 Slowly roll the egg over the surface so the colored shaving cream completely coats the egg's shell and dyes it. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 Read more Photo of the day: The luck of the Irish celebrated around the world Cities dyed their rivers green. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Her dark hair is dyed a vibrant hue, a trademark look of her brother’s, as well. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 For her wedding in May 2023, Ashley Oliver Thomas paid $150 for the bra cups of her ceremony gown to be dyed to match her skin color. Sadiba Hasan, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dye.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dye was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dye

Cite this Entry

“Dye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dye. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

dye

1 of 2 noun
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 noun

Medical Definition

dye

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on dye

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