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tincture

Pronunciation: /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/
Definition of tincture

noun

  • 1a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol:the remedies can be administered in form of tinctures [mass noun]:a bottle containing tincture of iodine
  • British informal an alcoholic drink: he’s a rough diamond, especially after a tincture or two
  • 2a slight trace of something:she could not keep a tincture of bitterness out of her voice
  • 3 Heraldry any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.

verb

(be tinctured)
  • be tinged or imbued with a slight amount of:Arthur’s affability was tinctured with faint sarcasm

Origin:

late Middle English (denoting a dye or pigment): from Latin tinctura 'dyeing', from tingere 'to dye or colour'. sense 2 of the noun (early 17th century) comes from the obsolete sense 'imparted quality', likened to a tint imparted by a dye

tincture in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tincture in the US English dictionary
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