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to engraining

to engraining

9.4
To dye wool or cloth so the color stays deep
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈɡreɪnɪŋ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : teñir
  • She carefully engrains the dye into the wool.

Examples

  • Traditional methods of engraining wool ensure that the colors remain vibrant after many washes.

  • The artisans spent hours engraining the fabric to achieve a rich, lasting color.

  • They are engraining the yarn to prepare it for weaving into colorful rugs.

  • The artist is engraining the fabric with rich colors.

  • The artisans spent hours engraining the fabric to achieve a rich, lasting color.

  • Traditional methods of engraining wool ensure that the colors remain vibrant after many washes.

  • They are engraining the yarn to prepare it for weaving into colorful rugs.

Synonyms

to imbue
vsto engraining
1 7.7

To give a material or object a deep color

applies mainly to textiles and stresses long lasting color in fibers
to deep-dye
vsto engraining
7.2

To color fabric all the way through so the color lasts

focuses on lasting penetration into fibers rather than even thickness

How Permanent

to engraining
  • Archaic
9.4
to stain
113 3.2
to tint
24 3.6

Surface Forms

engraining infinitive
engrained past
engrained past participle
engraining present participle
engrains third person singular

Morphology

engraining = engrain (opaque) = en + grain + ing

The literal dyeing sense is historically motivated but not predictable from the modern meanings of 'en' and 'grain'.

Etymology

Engraining (to dye) comes from en- 'in' and grain 'small part' or 'fibre', meaning to put color 'into the grain' of the cloth. That image explains why the verb means dyeing so the color goes deep and stays for a long time.