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Glite Dictionary
aniline dye

aniline dye

6.6
A man-made dye made from aniline used to colour cloth
  • noun
  • /ˈænəˌlin daɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tinte de anilina
  • A visitor to his laboratory "was confronted with a symphony of colors... thousands upon thousands of glass bottles stood around, all filled with the brightest aniline dyes."

Examples

  • For this art project, we chose an aniline dye that will not fade over time.

  • You can use aniline dye to create vibrant colors in your fabric projects.

  • Aniline dyes and colored inks are transparent to infrared.

    Red Dragon (2002)

  • Many textile manufacturers rely on aniline dye for its rich color and durability.

Synonyms

dye
vsaniline dye
85 2.0

A substance used to change the color of cloth or hair

is a specific synthetic subgroup made from a chemical for textile and industrial use

Surface Forms

aniline dye singular
aniline dyes plural

Morphology

aniline + dye

The meaning 'a dye derived from aniline' is directly and transparently composed from 'aniline' (the chemical/material) + 'dye' (a coloring material). This fits the common noun+noun compounding pattern where the first element names the source/material and the second the function, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Aniline dye is named after the chemical aniline, first made from a dark oil called coal tar in the 1800s. Chemists found that aniline made very bright new colors for cloth, so today aniline dye means a 'man-made dye' made from that chemical.