tincture

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/

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'. tincture (sense 2 of the noun) (early 17th century) comes from the obsolete sense 'imparted quality', likened to a tint imparted by a dye