A colourant, especially one that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is applied.
"The old man pulled a pair of dyes from his pocket to check if they were balanced before rolling them on the table."
Alternative spelling of die (“singular of dice”)
In plain English: A dye is any substance used to change the color of something else, such as fabric or hair.
"She bought some fabric dye to change the color of her curtains."
Usage: Use "dye" for a substance used to color materials like fabric and hair, distinguishing it from "paint," which sits on the surface rather than penetrating fibers. Avoid confusing this noun with its homophone "die," meaning a small cube marked with numbers or shapes used in games of chance.
To colour with dye, or as if with dye.
"The vibrant red fabric was dyed in a deep shade that seemed to glow under the sunlight."
In plain English: To dye something is to change its color by soaking it in liquid paint.
"She decided to dye her hair blonde for the summer vacation."
A surname.
"The famous artist named Dye exhibited her new collection at the gallery last week."
The word "dye" comes from the Old English dēah, which originally meant "color" or "hue." Its roots trace back to a Proto-Indo-European term related to smoking, raising dust, and camouflage.