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tinc·ture

(tĭngkchər)

1. A coloring or dyeing substance; a pigment.

2. An imparted color; a tint.

3. A quality that colors, pervades, or distinguishes.

4. A trace or vestige: "a faint tincture of condescension" (Robert Craft).

5. An alcohol solution of a nonvolatile medicine: tincture of iodine.

6. Heraldry A metal, color, or fur.

tr.v. tinc·tured, tinc·tur·ing, tinc·tures

1. To stain or tint with a color.

2. To infuse, as with a quality; impregnate.

[Middle English, from Latin tīnctūra, a dyeing, from tīnctus, past participle of tingere, to dye.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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