Word: tincture Part of Speech: noun 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. Pronunciation: /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/, /ˈtɪŋktjʊə/, /ˈtɪŋ(k)t͡ʃɚ/ 1. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: obsolete Example: [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. Example: [A]ll both men and vvomen paint or embroider their skinnes vvith Iron pennes, putting indelible tinctures thereunto. 2. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: broadly Example: '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. 3. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: broadly, figuratively Example: [A]fter the firſt comming of Hengiſt they had liued here C.L. yeers by the cõmon account vvithout tincture of true religion: […] Example: 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 tincture of it, at least so far, as that their fear of erring in a thing of no consequence, argues they would be too much pleased in performing it. 4. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: broadly 5. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: obsolete Example: 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. 6. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: figuratively, obsolete Example: a tincture of orange peel Example: 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. 7. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: figuratively, obsolete Example: 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. 8. Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid. Labels: obsolete Example: 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, […] 9. Scientific and alchemical senses. Example: tincture of iodine; tincture of cannabis; tincture of opium Example: Madame de Pompadour used tincture of cantharides to regain the love of Louis XV. 10. Scientific and alchemical senses. Labels: broadly, humorous Example: 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. 11. Scientific and alchemical senses. Example: 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, […] 12. Scientific and alchemical senses. Example: [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; […] Example: 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: […] 13. Scientific and alchemical senses. Example: [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; […] Example: 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.