tincture
Syllables: tinct·ureUK/ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə//ˈtɪŋ(k)t͡ʃɚ/
tincture noun: a pigment or other substance that colours or dyes; specifically, a pigment used as a cosmetic.
Noun
tincture (plural tinctures)
- A pigment or other substance that colours or dyes; specifically, a pigment used as a cosmetic.
- [O]ur daintie dames and fine ladies have begun to ſet their mind upon this colour [amber], and have placed it in the third ranke of rich tincture: vvhereby vve may ſee there is no ſuperfluitie and diſorder in the vvorld, but it hath a pretence and cloake of ſome precious name or other.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXVII.] Of the True Originall and Generation of Amber. The Sundrie Kinds thereof. The Exercise and Superfluitie of People, as Touching...
- [A]ll both men and vvomen paint or embroider their skinnes vvith Iron pennes, putting indelible tinctures thereunto.1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “The Voyage of Nicolo di Conti a Venetian, to the Indies, Mangi, Cambalu and Quinsai, with Some Observations of Those Places”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 3rd part, London...
- A colour or tint, especially if produced by a pigment or something which stains; a tinge.
- 'Tis not a Sett of Features, or Complexion, / The Tincture of a Skin, that I admire. / Beauty ſoon grovvs familiar to the Lover, / Fades in his Eye, and palls upon the Senſe.1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 12
- A slight addition of a thing to something else; a shade, a touch, a trace.
- [A]fter the firſt comming of Hengiſt they had liued here C.L. yeers by the cõmon account vvithout tincture of true religion: […]1612, [John Selden], “The Eleuenth Song. Illustrations.”, in Michael Drayton, edited by [John Selden], Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other...
- Men are oppressed with regard to their way of speaking and acting, instead of having their thought bent upon what they should do or say; and by that means bury a capacity for great things, by their fear of failing in indifferent things. This, perhaps, cannot be called affectation; but it has some...1711 April 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “THURSDAY, April 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 38; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I...
- A hue or pattern used in the depiction of a coat of arms.
- The act of colouring or dyeing.
- This ſtone [“cyanos” or chrysoprase] is very apt to bee counterfeited, and eſpecially by tincture: the invention vvhereof is aſcribed to a king of Ægypt, vvho vvas highly honoured for beeing the firſt that gave a colour to it.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXVII.] Sundry Kinds of Iaspers.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of...
- A slight physical quality other than colour (especially taste), or an abstract quality, added to something; a tinge.
- a tincture of orange peel
- And yet the iron here vvrought, is not in every place of like goodneſſe, but generally more brittle than is the Spaniſh iron, vvhether it bee by the nature, or tincture and temper thereof.1610, William Camden, “Sussex”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s...
- A small flaw; a blemish, a stain.
- To offend againſt ſo gracious a Patron, vvould add a Tincture to our Diſobedience; yet ſuch is the Iniquity of our Condition, that vve are forced to defer our Gratitude.a. 1659 (date written), John Cleveland, “To the Earl of Holland, then Chancellor of the University of Cambridge”, in J[ohn] L[ake], S[amuel] D[rake], editors, The Works of John Cleveland, Containing...
- Synonym of baptism.
- Rollo ſonne of a Daniſh Potentate, […] made tranſmigration into France, and there, after ſome martiall diſcords, honored in holy tincture of Chriſtianity vvith the name of Robert, […]1612, [John Selden], “The Fourth Song. Illustrations.”, in Michael Drayton, edited by [John Selden], Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other...
- Synonyms:
- baptism
- A medicine consisting of one or more substances dissolved in ethanol or some other solvent.
- tincture of iodine; tincture of cannabis; tincture of opium
- Madame de Pompadour used tincture of cantharides to regain the love of Louis XV.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 56
- A (small) alcoholic drink.
- Weathers made them all have just one little tincture at his expense and promised to meet them later on at Mulligan's in Poolbeg Street.1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “Counterparts”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 115
- Synonyms:
- adult beverage, alcohol, bevvy, booze, carouse, drink, fuddling, grog, hard drink, libation
- An immaterial substance or spiritual principle which was thought capable of being instilled into physical things; also, the essence or spirit of something.
- For vvhat is ſilke but eu'n a Quinteſſence, / Made vvithout hands beyond al humane ſenſe? / A quinteſſence? nay vvel it may be call'd, / A deathleſſe tincture, ſent vs from the skies, / VVhoſe colour ſtands, vvhose gloſſe is ne're appalld, […]1599, T[homas] M[offett], The Silkewormes, and Their Flies: […], London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Nicholas Ling, […], →OCLC, pages 67–68
- A material essence thought to be capable of extraction from a substance.
- [T]he pureſt part [of the sap], as moſt apt and ready, recedes, vvith its due Tinctures, from the ſaid Cortical Body, to the Lignous. VVhich Lignous Body likevviſe ſuper-inducing its ovvn proper Tinctures into the ſaid Sap; […]1671 December 17 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1672), Nehemiah Grew, “Of the Root”, in The Anatomy of Vegetables Begun. […], London: […] Spencer Hickman, printer to the R[oyal] Society, […]...
- And I do perſvvade my ſelf, that the common Devv exhaled from ſome ſorts of Herbs or VVeeds, but eſpecially from the common Graſs, carries vvith it the Seminal Tincture of the Herb, vvhich being again deſcended by Devvs or Rain upon the bare and naked Earth, re-produceth the ſame Species: […]a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, “Concerning Vegetables, and Especially Insecta Animalia, whether Any of Them are Sponte Orta, or Arise Not rather Ex Præexistente Semine”, in The Primitive...
- The part of a substance thought to be essential, finer, and/or more volatile, which could be extracted in a solution; also, the process of obtaining this.
- [C]ome forth, / And taſt the ayre of Palaces, eate, drinke / The toyles of Empricks, and their boaſted practiſe: / Tincture of Pearle, an Corall, Gold, and Amber; […]1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i
- VVhy, by his skill, / Of vvhich he has left you the inheritance, / Here in a pot: this little gally pot, / Of tincture, high roſe tincture.1625 January 19 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [Ben Jonson], The Fortunate Isles and Their Union. […], [London: s.n.], published [1625], →OCLC, signature [A4], verso
Verb
tincture (third-person singular simple present tinctures, present participle tincturing, simple past and past participle tinctured)
- To colour or stain (something) with, or as if with, a dye or pigment.
- [T]hey are rich habilimented, their heads rounded vvith a golden caule: their cheekes tinctured vvith Vermillion, their noſes and eares hung vvith Ievvels of price and bigneſſe, and about their faces (tied to the chin) a rope of orient pearle of exceeding value, if not counterfeit: […]1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “A Discourse of the Life and Habit of the Persians at this Present”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […]...
- [T]his very River Nilus that runs novv into the Mediterranean is the River that vvill run tinctured with bloud three hundred years hence, though the vvater is not the ſame novv and then nor of the ſame Quality: […]1664, H[enry] More, chapter XV, in Synopsis Prophetica; or, The Second Part of the Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity: […], London: […] James Flesher, for William Morden […], →OCLC, book I...
- Followed by with: to add to or impregnate (something) with (a slight amount of) an abstract or (obsolete) physical quality; to imbue, to taint, to tinge.
- Of fulgent beautie; but ſo pure a mind, / As if tinctur'd from Heaven, and ſo devin'd.1634 (first performance), Thomas Heywood, “Her Majestie Inviting the King to Denmarke house, in the Strand, upon His Birth-day, being November the 19. This Play (Bearing from that time) the Title of...
- Chriſt dravveth my VVill into himſelf, and cloateth it vvith his Blood and Death, and tictureth it vvith the higheſt Tincture of the Divine Povver: Thus it is changed into an Angelical Image, and getteth a Divine Life.1653, Jacob Behmen [i.e., Jakob Böhme], “A Theosophick Epistle, or Letter, wherein the Life of a True Christian is Described: […]”, in [anonymous], transl., A Consideration upon the Book of Esaias...
- To dissolve (a substance) in ethanol or some other solvent to produce a medicinal tincture.
- Fill a glass jar full of plant matter, leaving an inch of space. (I prefer to tincture each herb separately and mix combinations as I need them.) Completely cover plants with 100-proof vodka, brandy, or vinegar and secure the lid tightly.2011, Deb Soule, “Creating a Herbal Apothecary”, in The Woman’s Handbook of Herbal Healing: A Guide to Natural Remedies, New York, N.Y.: Skyhorse Publishing, →ISBN
- To have a taint or tinge of some quality.
- The portrait of the Author, prefixed, is engraved from a drawing by another of his friends, done from memory; it is like, but a likeneſs that tinctures of the prejudice of friendſhip.1787, Geoffrey Gambado [pseudonym; Henry William Bunbury], “The Editor to the Reader”, in An Academy for Grown Horsemen; […], 2nd edition, London: […] Hooper and Wigstead, […], published 1796, →OCLC...
- Which one of the carefully chosen assessors, one white, one sufficiently tinctured to pass as black, was it who was speaking—both sat, either side of the judge, silent henchmen.1998, Nadine Gordimer, The House Gun, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 212
tincture meaning in Tamil, Marathi, Urdu and Bengali
tincture in Tamil
- சாராயக் கரைசல், டிங்சர், சாராயக்கரைசல், டிஞ்ச்சர், மதுசாரமருந்து
tincture in Marathi
- medicine consisting of one or more substances dissolved in ethanol or some other solvent
- रंगौषधि raṅgauṣdhi
tincture in Urdu
- رنگ, رنگ کی جھلک
tincture in Bengali
- tincture
- আরক arok
More languagesFewer languages
- tincture in Malayalam
- ദ്രാവകൗഷധം, ക്വഥം, ക്വാഥം, കഷായം
- tincture in Indonesian
- tingtur
- tincture in Persian
- تنتور tantur
Examples of tincture in a sentence
- 'Tis thus, ſays [André] Dacier, that vve lay a full Colour, vvhen the VVool has taken the vvhole Tincture, and drunk in as much of the Dye as it can receive.1693, John Dryden, “[The Dedication]”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the...
- The Propoſition and Demonſtration were fairly written on a thin Wafer, with Ink compoſed of a Cephalick Tincture.1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Permitted to See the Grand Academy of Lagado. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations...
- Ernst August has some tincture of soldiership at this time (Marlborough Wars, and the like), as all his kindred had; […]1858, Thomas Carlyle, “Father’s Mother”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume I, London: Chapman and...
- A goodness mixed with fear gives a tincture to all her behaviour.1711 August 25 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “TUESDAY, August 15, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 144; republished in Alexander...
Synonyms of tincture
12 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Forms of tincture
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | tinctures |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | tinctures |
| present participle | tincturing |
| past participle | tinctured |
| past | tinctured |
Origin of tincture
The noun is derived from Late Middle English tincture (“a dye, pigment; a colour, hue, tint; process of colouring or dyeing; medicinal ointment or salve (perhaps one discolouring the skin); use of a medicinal tincture; (alchemy) transmutation of base metals into gold; ability to cause such transmutation; substance supposed to cause such transmutation”) [and other forms], borrowed from Latin tīnctūra (“act of dyeing”) + Middle English -ure (suffix indicating an action or a process and the means or result of that action or process). Tīnctūra is derived from tīnctus (“coloured, tinged; dipped in; impregnated with; treated”) + -tūra (suffix forming action nouns expressing activities or results); while tīnctus is the perfect passive participle of tingō (“to colour, dye, tinge; to dip (in), immerse; to impregnate (with); to moisten, wet; to smear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to dip; to soak”). Doublet of tainture, teinture, and tinctura. The verb is derived from the noun.
Words formed from tincture
Words that rhyme with tincture
Questions about tincture
- What does tincture mean?
- Tincture means a pigment or other substance that colours or dyes; specifically, a pigment used as a cosmetic.
- What is tincture in Tamil?
- Tincture in Tamil is சாராயக் கரைசல், டிங்சர், சாராயக்கரைசல். See Tincture meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use tincture in a sentence?
- 'Tis thus, ſays [André] Dacier, that vve lay a full Colour, vvhen the VVool has taken the vvhole Tincture, and drunk in as much of the Dye as it can receive.
- What part of speech is tincture?
- Tincture can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce tincture?
- Tincture is pronounced /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/ (UK).
- What is the plural of tincture?
- The plural of tincture is tinctures.
Words near tincture in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: tincture (page history and authors); tincture (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); tincture (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); আরক (Bengali) (page history and authors); tincture (Olam, E.K. Kurup corpus) (dataset and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-tincture.wav.
Cite this entry: “tincture.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/tincture. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.