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Tincture
Definitions
- 1 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A pigment or other substance that colours or dyes; specifically, a pigment used as a cosmetic. obsolete
"[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."
- 2 (pharmacology) a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution wordnet
- 3 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A colour or tint, especially if produced by a pigment or something which stains; a tinge. broadly
"'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."
- 4 a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color wordnet
- 5 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A slight addition of a thing to something else; a shade, a touch, a trace. broadly, figuratively
"[A]fter the firſt comming of Hengiſt they had liued here C.L. yeers by the cõmon account vvithout tincture of true religion: […]"
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- 6 an indication that something has been present wordnet
- 7 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A hue or pattern used in the depiction of a coat of arms. broadly
- 8 a substance that colors or dyes wordnet
- 9 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; The act of colouring or dyeing. obsolete
"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."
- 10 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A slight physical quality other than colour (especially taste), or an abstract quality, added to something; a tinge. figuratively, obsolete
"a tincture of orange peel"
- 11 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; A small flaw; a blemish, a stain. figuratively, obsolete
"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."
- 12 Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.; Synonym of baptism. obsolete
"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, […]"
- 13 Scientific and alchemical senses.; A medicine consisting of one or more substances dissolved in ethanol or some other solvent.
"tincture of iodine; tincture of cannabis; tincture of opium"
- 14 Scientific and alchemical senses.; A (small) alcoholic drink. broadly, humorous
"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."
- 15 Scientific and alchemical senses.; 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, […]"
- 16 Scientific and alchemical senses.; 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; […]"
- 17 Scientific and alchemical senses.; 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; […]"
- 1 To colour or stain (something) with, or as if with, a dye or pigment. transitive
"[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: […]"
- 2 stain or tinge with a slight amount of a color wordnet
- 3 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. figuratively, transitive
"Of fulgent beautie; but ſo pure a mind, / As if tinctur'd from Heaven, and ſo devin'd."
- 4 fill, as with a certain quality wordnet
- 5 To dissolve (a substance) in ethanol or some other solvent to produce a medicinal tincture. transitive
"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."
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- 6 To have a taint or tinge of some quality. intransitive, rare
"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."
Etymology
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.
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.
See also for "tincture"
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